A Not-So-Dream Dream
by xXSaSuHiNaXx
Summary: Lyrica had always known, but now she was positive. Life hated her. Why else would she be dumped in the Hunter x Hunter world with only her cellphone and a backpack that held nothing to help her in this world of terror? But she guessed it wasn't all bad. She did get to meet her favorite characters in this world, after all. KilluaxOC. Rated T to be safe.
1. The Outsider and the Gang

When I came to, the first thing I noticed was that I was in a dark and clammy room. I blinked my eyes blearily and rubbed at them, before looking around the room in confusion. It was large, that was for certain. A large crowd of men and woman swarmed the room, most buff and intimidating-looking with a few scrawny people here and there. I squinted, scratching the side of my head, trying to remember when and how I had gotten here.

This was definitely not my room.

"Hello there, you must be a rookie applicant."

I jumped, startled at the sudden voice that spoke to me, and turned swiftly to face the owner. I faintly wondered why the voice seemed familiar and upon looking at the one who addressed me, I realized. My mouth hung open and I openly gawked at the pudgy man in front of me, holding what looked like canned juice in his hands. The bushy eyebrows that looked a lot like caterpillars, the round face, the boxed nose. It was all so familiar and the only thing I could think was:

What. The. Hell.

He saw my shocked expression and must've confused it with something else, because he walked up to me and put on a smile. "You must be wondering how I know that, right? Well actually, this is my 35th time taking the Hunter Exam, so I guess you could say that I'm a veteran." He laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head with his free hand. "Though I've never actually passed it as you can tell."

I nodded dumbly, still trying to register what was happening. Tompa - the infamous rookie crusher - was standing in front of me, talking to me, _smiling at me. _What the hell? And then I fully registered his words. If it were possible, my mouth fell to the ground and my eyes practically popped out of my head as my mind went into overdrive.

_Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! Let's rewind. Did he... did he just say what I think he said? Hunter Exam. _Hunter Exam. **_Hunter Exam. _Hunter. Exam. **_What? __Again, what the hell? But that's... I mean, it's... Huh?! That's impossible! 'Cause if he's here, and what he said is true, then I'm... I'm..._

"Hey, you okay? Here, have a drink," Tonpa said, offering me a can of orange juice.

That finally snapped me out of it. Quickly shutting my mouth, I coughed into my hand repeatedly and turned away from here. This just couldn't be happening. Like, did I get beaten too many times in the head? Drank too much coke? Watched too much _anime? _Was I dreaming?

Dreaming, yes. That had to be it.

After all, what other explanation was there?

I quickly composed myself and looked back at him, then looked down at the hand that held a can of juice, then back at him. Remembering how it was poisoned, I crinkled my nose in disgust and sniffed. "Sorry, I don't like orange juice," I quickly said, waving a hand. Then I forced a smile on. "But I'm fine, thank you for asking."

_As if I'd drink a poisoned juice. No way am I spending the rest of the day in the toilet, _I thought. I wasn't going to be stupid, though I didn't want to be impolite. No need to let him know I knew about the laxatives. The less attention on me, the better.

"Oh, I see. Well, if you need anything, I'll be happy to help," Tonpa said after a moment.

I gave him a curt nod and watched him walk off. With his back turned to me I stuck out my tongue at him. A rather childish move, but I couldn't help it. I didn't like him. Stupid troll, no way was he going to trick me with his stupid tricks.

I stood up and dusted myself off of the dirt. Something clung to my back and I patted it cautiously, surprised to notice what felt like a _backpack. _Weird, I thought. I shrugged, not really caring. Looking down at my hands I couldn't help but grin. _Anime-ish, _I thought.

Cool.

Looking up, I surveyed the room. Like earlier, all I could see were many men and a few women. And by few, I meant _few. _Like, only five or six, including me. By the amount, I knew immediately that Gon Kurapika and Leorio had yet to arrive. Which made me wonder, just when would they be coming here? Then another question popped into my head._  
_

_What number am I?_

I curiously peered down at my chest and surprise-surprise, a white badge clung to the left side of my chest, the number '112' printed on it in bold numbers.

_That means that Killua should already be here. _That thought sparked excitement in me. With a large grin, I trembled in glee as I scanned the room once more. Killua was my number one favorite character in the Hunter x Hunter world and. Oh. My. Gosh. I'mgonnameethimI'mgonnameethim! I squealed in a very fangirlish way, earning many curious looks, which I ignored.

_I just can't believe it, I'm gonna meet Killua! KILLUA! _I gave another squeal and bounced in place, letting my inner fangirl out. _I'm so happy I could die!_

My eyes landed on a familiar mop of silver hair and I could not contain the small cry of glee that surged through my mouth. He was here. _He _was here. _He_ was _here_. **_He was here_**. He. Killua. The most awesomest, most handsomest, most badass, most sexiest, most kindest, most - most - most everything! I sighed dreamily, turning into pudding. A rather deranged giggle left my parted lips and the applicants within hearing-range looked at me weirdly.

I was blissfully unaware.

Immediately, I found my arms and legs moving. Before I could stop myself, or even think of what I was doing, I was launching myself straight at my favorite character, arms spread at my sides and a stupid grin on my face. My legs pushed up and I leaped into the air, sailing straight for the unaware Killua. I was only a foot away from him and enclosed my arms around his neck and squealed once more and -

-and found myself crashing into the hard, unforgiving floor.

I moaned pitifully in pain, my body twitching rather comically. I groaned into the floor, the pain bringing me back to my senses. Immediately my face flushed a bright red and I jolted up, completely embarrassed. I stared wide-eyed at Killua, who stared back at me with wide, blank eyes. He looked completely frozen in spot, fingers twitching and claws receding back to regular nails.

We stared and stared and stared and stared at each other, me too embarrassed to form a word and him... Well, I'd image he was too surprised to move.

And then he spoke.

"Uh... Huh?"

I was ready to faint.

.

.

.

"So you jumped me..."

"Actually, tried to hug," I corrected.

He ignored me. "...because I look like someone you know?"

I nodded, beyond embarrassed. I had just gotten myself composed and made up an excuse as to why I was suddenly trying to glomp. It was a lame excuse. Like, a really lame excuse. But I was panicked and embarrassed and just said the first thing that came to my mind. Which totally failed, because he was giving me this look that read I-don't-believe-a-dang-thing-you-said.

I just wanted to die.

"Okay..." Killua said awkwardly.

I laughed sheepishly and rubbed at the back of my neck, eyes shifting around to room for a distraction. "Uh, sorry. Really, I am. I didn't mean to freak you out. Didn't mean to freak out. I really wasn't thinking when I tried to hug you. I'm sorry, again! Please forgive me."

"Uh, sure... Okay, I guess...?" he replied awkwardly.

_I'm sure of it, he thinks I'm weird. Crazy. Insane, even. I'm so stupid! Why did I have to go and do that? Stupid, stupid, stupid! _I mentally berated myself. What was wrong with me? Now my favorite character probably hates me. I mentally wept, crocodile tears running down my cheeks as I hit myself multiple times in the head for my stupidity.

"I'm sorry," I apologized once more.

"It's alright," he said, shaking a hand in dismissal. He looked just a little uncomfortable by the whole situation. "By the way, what's you're name?" he asked after a moment.

I stared at him for a moment, the words slowly processing in my head. Then, a large goofy grin spread across my face and relief sparkled in my eyes. Killua didn't hate me! I opened my mouth to reply, then closed it. The smile quickly wiped off my face, I took on a contemplative look. _Should I give him my name? My real name? But it's uncommon here, right? Like, most anime have Japanese names and my name isn't exactly Japanese._

Then again, the names here weren't exactly normal. Stick Dinner? Banana Kavaro? What kind of names were those? But I was still a little afraid of revealing my real name to him. So taking a split moment to think, I finally replied. "I'm Hiei. How 'bout you?"

"I'm Killua," he said.

I gave myself a mental pat on the back. That name was good. Awesome, even. It was both cool and the same name as my most favorite character in the anime Yu Yu Hakusho which, by the way, also happened to be by Togashi-sensei. Thank you Togashi-sensei, you gave me a good name. He so rocked!

Outwardly I grinned and held out a hand for him to shake, at the same time suppressing the strong urge to hug him once more. Or at least try to. "Nice to meet you Killua."

He stared at my hand for a long moment and I almost flinched. Was there something wrong with my hand? But then he shrugged and clasped his hand in my, giving it a shake. Words could not describe how happy I felt at that moment, my hand in his, feeling his smooth and warm flesh, actually _touching _him. I was so happy! To think, I was actually shaking hands with _the _Killua Zoldyck. Ha! Suck on that, fangirls!

But alas, the handshake didn't last and, as quick as it began it ended. Killua quickly pulled away from me, looking a tad bit awkward, and the smile on his face relayed how unused to the gesture he was.

Briefly I wondered why, then remembered that he came from the _Zoldyck family _who, as far as I knew, weren't much on the touchy-feely. Normal stuff like this was probably as rare to him as killing was to me. Ya, not ever. Pretty sad, honestly, not to have been able to do what other kids would presume to be 'normal'.

"How old are you?" I asked him, though already knew the answer. But it was a good conversation starter, or rather continuer. Is continuer even a word?

"I'm twelve, you?"

"Same."

From the corner of my eyes I caught the sight of the elevator door opening. My mouth shut in the process of speaking and I turned my head so that I could clearly see the elevator. Eyes widened at the sight that presented to me and I gave a gasp, once that didn't go unnoticed by Killua.

The two of us both stared, at the elevator, one gawking and the other curious, and saw the familiar face of... Gon, Kurapika and Leorio.

I squealed.

"Hey hey, look! There's another kid our age," I told him, fighting against the urge to bounce up and down in my spot and unleash my inner-fangirl once more.

No need to embarrass myself again.

Killua just nodded, indifferent. "Yeah, I see."

I pouted, expecting him to grin and be happy and excited and want to meet Gon, not this. He didn't look interested at all. Shame.

"Do you know him?" he asked after a moment.

Despite wanting to tell Killua about Gon and shoving him into the older boy's arms so that the two could become friends and go on these super cool and super cute adventures, I refrained. But I really wanted the two to meet. Like, right now. This second. And be friends so that I could watch the two in all their cuteness. It was just so tempting!

But I shrugged instead, faking cluelessness. "Nope, not at all. Though I'd love to chat with him. Actually, I'm gonna do that right now. Wanna join?"

"Nah, I'm fine," he said.

I mentally deflated at his response. Stupid Killua, why couldn't you just join me? Get together already! Become the ultra-cute, ultra-licious, ultra-awesome couple - I mean, _bestfriends _\- that you're supposed to! I sighed dejectedly in my head and forced myself not to yell at him to get his cushy to Gon. Not like it would work if I tried, anyway.

"Alright, suit yourself. Catch you later?"

"Yeah, sure," he nodded.

I gave him a small wave and parted ways - for now, at least. No way was I going to stay away from him. He was way too ultra-licious for me ignore.

I meandered through the crowd of applicants, noting that there were much more than previously, and bounced over to Gon and co. A huge grin threatened to split my face and I raised a hand to wave in giddiness. I was sure everyone in the room could see just how happy I was to see the three. Like a reunion after many years with good friends.

"Hey there!" I greeted.

Gon face lit up upon catching me and he waved back, rather enthusiastically, sending me a bright, dazzling smile that melted my heart and turned me to pudding. He was just so uber-cute!

"Hey there, what's your name?" he asked.

The other two regarded me and I honestly felt faint at all the attention.

"Hello, I'm Ly - I mean, I'm Hiei. Yeah, Hiei," I quickly corrected myself, hoping that they didn't catch my mistake. "How 'bout you guys?"

"Gon!" Gon chirped. He gestured to the two beside him, "And this is Leorio and Kurapika. Nice to meet you!"

Leorio looked perturbed. "Gon, don't just go introducing us like that! What if she's here to hurt us?"

"Why would I hurt you?" I questioned at the same time as Gon said, "Why would she hurt us?"

"Maybe because she doesn't want us to pass the Hunter Exam and instead pass on her own?" he said, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Why would I wanna do that?" I said back. "Just because I'm taking the Hunter Exam with you guys, doesn't mean I have to be plotting some evil plan to fail you. I can just win this fair and square and honestly, that's what I'm planning to do. Why bother wasting time and energy on others when I can just use it to plan and pass on my own?"

"She's got you there, Leorio," Kurapika remarked. He smiled and held out a hand, "I'm Kurapika, by the way. It's a pleasure to meet another fellow applicant."

I shook his hand, offering him a grin. "Same here! I hope we can become good friends." I looked to Leorio. "And with you, too. Honestly, I'm not planning anything against you. I'm honestly happy to meet you guys. It's nice to know there are others around my age here."

He stared at the hand I offered him, then up at me, then back at the hand, and with much hesitation, shook it. "Yeah, same I guess. Leorio, by the way."

"Nice 'ta meet ya!" I chirped.

"But Leorio does have a point," Kurapika said after Leorio and I were done shaking hands. "There are many who will want to deceive us and make us fail. The less competition there is, the higher the chance of passing. We should all be careful."

I waited a moment before asking, "So, how old are you guys?"

"I'm twelve!" Gon said.

"Me too," I replied.

"Wow, really? Then we're the same age."

I laughed at the expression of glee on Gon's face, finding it just adorable. "Yup. How 'bout you guys?" I stared expectantly at the two older ones. This I was definitely curious about. In the anime it wasn't stated how old the two were and I wanted to hear it out of their mouths. While the wikia had stated Kurapika to be 17, Leorio was a different case. All I knew was that he was still a teenager.

I was really curious.

Before either of the two could answer a loud, obnoxious ringing pierced my eardrums and I winced at the sheer volume of it. I spun on my heels and looked to the noise, only to gasp at the sight of Satotz at the other end of the room. I blinked, noticing that the room had suddenly grown larger. Or rather, turned into a long and never-ending tunnel while I was chatting with the three.

Huh, how surprising. Was I really out of tune with everything going on in the tunnel that I didn't notice when Satotz appeared?

I stared long and hard at Satotz's face - or more specifically, his mouth. Hey, I was curious. I wanted to know whether he really didn't have a mouth like in the anime and manga. Because, really, what creature didn't have a mouth?

Don't answer that.

I squinted, leaning forward as I focused at his mouth. From this distance I couldn't be positive, but did Satotz really not have a mouth? I couldn't see anything. No lips, no line, no nothing. Only a mustache and smooth skin. How was he even talking? Or was the mouth hidden behind his curly mustache? Wait, I don't think that's possible. Does hair grow on lips?

But wait, even if that last question was possible, why couldn't I see the inside of his mouth? When his lips part, so should his mustache. I should be able to see the hole that is his mouth. But I wasn't seeing anything.

_He really doesn't have a mouth, _I thought, honestly a little shocked.

"The Hunter Exam will now begin."

I snapped out of my thoughts and finally payed him attention. My cheeks flushed lightly in embarrassment at having tuned him and his smexy voice out. I didn't even catch anything from his speech but his last words. Hopefully his speech hadn't changed from the anime or manga. Or else I didn't know at all what was happening.

_Hopefully nobody noticed._

"I am Satotz, the phase one examiner," he introduced himself. He turned on his heels so his back faced us and began his freakish - but ultra cool - walk. "You must follow me to phase two."

I followed along behind the other applicants, Gon and the other two already a few steps ahead of me. The realization that I'd be _running _a _marathon _hit me hard and I cringed, the thought of who-knows-how-many hours an unpleasant thought. If anything, I hated running. Especially long-distance running. I was no way an athlete. While I admit I was pretty good, and I'm not boasting, I could never imagine being able to hold out for more than three hours. Hell, I could barely run for thirty minutes straight without feeling utterly exhausted.

_This is sooo gonna be fun, _I thought sarcastically.

"This is the exam's first phase," Satotz continue.

Mentally grumbling to myself, I sped up to match the pace of the others.

I was so gonna hate this.

* * *

Two hours.

Two whole freaking hours.

That was how long I had been running for. And I knew this because I had been checking the time on one of the nearby applicant's wristwatch. No way was this possible, at least not for me. The most shocking thing, though, was that I wasn't yet dead tired. I expected myself to fail long, long ago. Yet I was still up and going. I would've never thought.

Taking a quick look around, I couldn't believe that not one of the other applicants had yet to fail. No one had backed out yet. Like, what the hell? What were these people, long-distance superstars? Steroid-users? And to think there's still so many more hours of running!

I mentally cursed Togashi-sensei for inventing this stupid test. Why did it have to be running of all things? Why not making sandcastles? Or cooking? Or maybe even treasure-looking? I hated running!

I groaned to myself, wishing for nothing more than a nice, long drink. And rest.

Plenty of rest.

I hated this phase.

Maybe I could purposefully disqualify myself? Then I wouldn't have to run anymore, that was good.

I shook my head, throwing that thought out the window. If I got disqualified now, that meant I wouldn't be able to hang out with Gon and Killua and Kurapika and Leorio, let alone see them. I definitely didn't want that. I mean, how could I go on without my daily dose of Gon and Killua? That was like, torture.

Pure and utter torture.

I sighed, deciding upon continuing.

But I really wanted to stop.

Looking ahead, I forced myself to concentrate on running. No need to trip over something because I was too focused on my thoughts. That would be embarrassing. _But you know, if I do get disqualified, I hope it's because I didn't get eaten by some sort of ugly giant creature with razor teeth. Ouch, that would be painful._

I took another look around, my weary eyes looking from one applicant to the other as I checked for what felt like the hundredth time this day for anyone had failed yet. Nope, no one yet.

I blinked, suddenly realizing something. _Where's Killua?_

In the old anime, Killua and Gon met about thirty minutes into the phase. Yet it's been more than two hours. Did that mean this was going by the newer anime rather than the old? I pouted at the thought. While I liked the newer anime, the old one had some really cool and entertaining moments. Such as the bonus third phase, where all the applicants had to work as a team to survive that big storm. It was awesome.

But wait, maybe this would have bits of both the old and the new in it? Now that would be really cool.

"Hey brat, wait up! You should show the Hunter Exam some respect!"

I looked curiously to my left and blinked when I saw Leorio shouting at what looked to be Killua on his skateboard. That's when I realized what was happening. I smiled, resisting the urge to squeal at the sight of the Zoldyck heir. He appeared! He appeared! He finally appeared! I almost called out to him, but refrained. This was the moment Gon and Killua meet and there was no way I was going to ruin it! I was gonna witness it with my own eyes!

"What do you mean?" Killua questioned, regarding Leorio.

"Why are you using a skateboard?" Leorio demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the said object. "That's cheating."

Killua spared a brief glance at his skateboard and then looked back at Leorio. "Why?"

"Why? This is an endurance test!" Leorio yelled.

"No it isn't."

The two turned to Gon at his words. My smile widened into a full-blown grin and I knew the moment I was waiting for was here. Yes, the moment Gon and Killua would become friends was coming and I just couldn't wait. Those two were just meant for each other! Absolutely adorable and heart-melting!

"Huh? Gon, what are you saying?" Leorio questioned.

Gon replied, "The examiner only told us to follow him."

"Who's side are you on?"

I chuckled at Leorio's frustration. While I found watching this scene funny, it was just hilarious seeing it right in front of me.

Killua slowed his pace to match with Gon's. "Hey, how old are you?" he inquired.

"I'm twelve years old," Gon answered.

I grinned; _They're finally talking to each other. Yosh! Now their friendship can begin! I'm so happy!_

The silverette did some amazingly cool trick on his skateboard, making it fly up into the air and he caught it with ease. I stared in awe, absolutely astonished and I clapped my hands together. As much as it's cool watching it in the anime, it was just amazing seeing it in person. Killua really was amazing, that was for sure.

"Guess I'll run too," Killua said coolly.

"Wow, that was so cool!" Gon exclaimed, in obvious awe.

"I'm Killua."

"I'm Gon."

I squealed at the adorable-ness of it all. They were just so uber-cute. Dang it Togashi-sensei, why did you have to make your two main characters so cute? I was gonna die of the cuteness overload!

"Oh hey, it's you," recognition sparked in Killua's eyes. "The girl who tried to jump me."

I choked, my excitement quickly vanishing to be replaced with utter embarrassment. I quickly regained my balance, having lost it with his words, and coughed viciously into my hand, my face glowing red. The others gave me strange looks, only increasing my embarrassment. Why did he have to go and say that? "I-I told you, I wasn't trying to jump you! I thought you were someone I knew and I was giving you a hug!"

"Uh-huh, sure," he totally sounded unconvinced, "Just admit it, you couldn't resist me," he teased, smirking.

If it were possible my face got even hotter and I quickly worked my brain to find an excuse. I liked him, yes, but only in a fangirl-ish way. But that didn't mean I wanted everyone to know! They'd think I was a freak or something. Worse, Killua would know and start avoiding me!

I quickly calmed myself and gave an over-dramatic sigh, pressing a hand to my chest. "Oh, how could you tell? I'm so ashamed to say it, but you're just so fine I couldn't help but want to maul you." I batted an eyelash at him, giving him my best seductive look.

Behind us, Kurapika and Leorio choked - probably on their saliva - and somehow I knew that either grossed them out or horrified them in some way. Maybe both.

Gon didn't give much of a reaction, except for the barely noticeable pink that painted his cheeks.

Killua looked scandalized, cheeks flaming red and eyes widened into saucers. "Ew, gross. That's disgusting! I was only kidding, you know! You're so creepy."

Ouch, but I just grinned. "Maybe. But you should have seen the look on your face! That was hilarious!" I laughed, pointing at his still-red cheeks.

Killua pouted and glared at me.

I ignored it, instead sticking my tongue out at him in response. I couldn't help it. To think, I made _the _Killua Zoldyck blush. I mean, how many people could do that? I only knew of two.

I was so happy right now.

It took a moment for us to settle down and I grinned at him once more. "So, you gonna run with us?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Sure, don't see why not."

* * *

Two freaking hours had passed since two freaking hours had passed.

Okay, maybe that doesn't make sense. See, it's been a total of four hours since the marathon had started, and two hours since Killua and Gon finally met. That was how long I had been running for. I was getting more and more tired which each minute that passed and honestly, all I wanted to do at the moment was flop to the ground and rest for hours. Even get a long drink.

I just wanted it to end.

_Man, what are these people made of? _I questioned myself.

So maybe this was not real, but still! This was just insane! Why was it that Togashi-sensei and all the other mangakas had to make their characters - especially main - so freaking superhuman compared to actual humans? And why did he even have to make this test up? Why not instead have a 'who can sleep the longest' phase. At least then I'd have a chance. This was just gruesome.

I panted, running beside Killua and Gon. Looking at the two, they were nowhere near breaking a sweat. I cursed those two, why did they have to be so freakishly strong and awesome? Couldn't they be a little tired? I felt so weak running beside the two.

I searched the crowd of running applicants, wondering whether Leorio was still holding strong. I couldn't remember exactly when it was that he tired out, but I really hoped it was soon. That way, I wouldn't be the only one ready to collapse. Hey, I was just a regular human!

I didn't see him anywhere though and I began to worry. Halting, I took a deep breath and let it out. The other applicants ran past me, some grumbling to themselves as they dodged me. Looking behind me, I was surprised to see just how far away he was from me. At least a few meters, actually much more. I frowned, my brows furrowing and I jogged over to him.

"Hey Leorio, are you okay?" I asked in worry.

He didn't say anything, just glared at me.

I surmised that he was too tired to talk. The worry bubbled up inside of me and I gulped. While I was just wishing for him to be dead tired and ready to collapse, actually seeing him in this state bothered me for some reason. "Hey, do you mind if I join you? I may not look it but I'm about to drop. I swear, everyone here isn't human."

He looked a little surprised, but then managed a small, tired smile. "Y... yeah," he breathed out in agreement.

"If you need to stop to catch you breath just tell me and we can stop," I told him.

He didn't reply, and I realized that it was because he barely had any energy for it. I smiled at how, despite being so tired, he still continued on. It made me want to continue too. Somehow, looking at him, it inspired me to not give up. My earlier thoughts of giving up quickly diminished and I felt a surge of strength run through me as I ran beside Leorio.

I never realized this before, but Leorio was a real motivator. Whether he knew this or not.

He stopped suddenly and I did too a second later. I turned back to see him hunched over with his hands on his knees trying to catch his breath. "You okay, Leorio?" I asked.

He didn't respond.

I gazed at his beyond sweaty face and almost defeated-looking eyes, finding a little of myself doubting that he would continue. While he continued in the anime, this wasn't the anime. It was just a dream (or at least, I thought it was). Things might go differently here.

I took a step towards him, then another, wondering whether I should do something or not.

"Screw that..." With speed I never knew he possessed, he blasted off past me, leaving behind a trail of dust.

I stared at him, dazed at his quick recovery, and watched him run at full speed. Faintly I wondered whether it was a good idea for him to run so fast. He was just wasting precious energy that way. But I didn't move, didn't even say anything. That was something I wasn't expecting, despite having already watched it. Wow, was all I could think.

"I'm gonna become a Hunter! Damn it all!" Leorio yelled.

A chuckle, small and barely audible, escaped my lips. Then another, and another, and before I knew it, I was full-blown laughing. I don't know why, but I just was. Maybe because of relief, or maybe it was something else, but watching Leorio running off like that, I couldn't help it. I must've looked insane at that moment.

It was official, I loved Leorio.

I quickly stopped myself and took off after him. No way was I going to fail this phase after the determination that Leorio gave me. I wouldn't disappoint him like that. If he could do it than so could I.

"Hey Gon, Killua," I called, waving to the two.

"Yo."

"Hey."

I stopped beside the two and smiled, happy to see them again. And just happy in general. These people were like happy powder, making it impossible to not be happy in their presence.

Pointing ahead, I said, "Hey, Shouldn't we get going?"

The two nodded.

Killua readied himself to run, but upon seeing that Gon wasn't moving an inch, stopped. I stared at Gon curious just as Killua did, and the two of us watched as he took his rod out from its holder and readied for a swing. Killua and I shared a look, then watched with awe as Gon cast the line at Leorio's suitcase, and then reeled it in.

I clapped my hands together and grinned in admiration. That was just so cool.

"Cool," Killua said.

"Yeah, that was really awesome!" I agreed.

With the suitcase now hooked on Gon's pole, the three of us turned and continued after Satotz.

"You've got to let me try that later," Killua told him.

"Only if you let me try your skateboard," Gon replied.

I pouted and pointed at myself. "How 'bout me? Can I try it too?"

Gon thought it over. "Alright, sure."

This time it was Killua's turn to pout. "Huh? That's not fair. How come she doesn't do anything in return?"

Gon just shrugged. "If you think it's unfair then I guess I'll only let Hiei try if she let's me do something in return."

I gave an indignant cry. "But Gon, I don't have anything for you to try out. That means I won't be able to try out your fishing rod!"

"Well too bad," Killua said.

I frowned in disappointment, a cloud of gloom around me. "That's so unfair," I muttered under my breath.

"Hey, I'm sure you'll find something," Gon said with a nervous chuckle.

I sighed, finding it so unfair. I didn't have, or even know, anything cool I could give to Gon. How was I going to try out his fishing rod? I totally wanted to learn how to fish. Even more, I wanted to be able to do what Gon just did with Leorio's suitcase. It was just so cool!

It didn't take us too long to catch up to the other applicants and soon we were getting closer and closer to Leorio and Kurapika. I was beginning to get tired again, but I swore I wouldn't give up. Not until I at least passed phase one. Then I wouldn't be seen as someone who's so pathetic I failed on the first test. I also wanted to stay with Gon and Killua a little longer anyway, and Kurapika and Leorio.

"Gon, Hiei, wanna race to see who finishes first?" Killua suggested.

"Sure, the loser has to buy dinner," Gon said.

The two stared at me expectantly. "How about you Hiei?" Gon asked.

I shook by head. "I think I'll pass. I doubt I'm that fast," I told them.

"So you're saying you're slow?" Killua teased.

"Yup!" I chirped.

Hey, it was the truth. I was neither fast nor had amazing stamina like the two. There was no way I could keep up with them. Even running this marathon was hard. Had it not been a dream, I would have failed thirty minutes in. I mentally sighed, that was just so pathetic in this world. But it was the truth and I wasn't going to lie about it.

"Well if you say so," Gon began. "We'll meet you at the top then, 'kay?"

"Sure," I replied.

"Alright ready... Go!" they shouted in unison.

I watched the two speed off with a smile. They were just so cute! If only I could hug them. Sadly, this was the time or place for it. I couldn't even if I wanted to. But maybe, just maybe, I could get them to let me later on. I still wanted that hug.

Badly.

It was settled, I was going to get a hug from them, whether they wanted it or not.

* * *

**AN: **_Hey there, readers! If you recognize me, then you're probably wondering why the heck I'm making a new story. If not, then hi. Just a warning, my ideas can get rather weird at time._

_I'd just like to request that you give me some advice to steer my OC away from Mary-Sueness. Or even to help me with my writing. Both would be appreciated :) So please leave reviews and tell me what you think! Your feedback is greatly valued._


	2. Swamps are Evil

It was official. I hated the Hunter Exam. Even more, I hated running. No, loathed it with a passion. It was the most stupidest, most torturous, most tedious, most achingly frustrating, most tiring thing ever created. Whoever decided running should be a thing was an idiot. That, or a sadist that loved torturing others. Perhaps even insane, or a combination of all three.

But seriously, running was torture.

Just pure and utter agony.

I gasped and wheezed, staggering along through the dark and musty tunnel. Each breath I took fueled the fire in my lungs. My legs were heavy; just taking one step forward felt as if I was dragging five people behind me. So, hard. Really, really hard. I could barely move now, let alone keep myself up and going. My mind ached and throbbed, a heavy mist that made it hard to think. Vision blurred and the silhouettes of the other applicants now barely visible to me, I faintly wondered just how much longer I had to run for.

Where, where, where was the light at the end of the tunnel? The one that signaled the end of this stupid phase? I was barely keeping myself up now. I couldn't possibly continue for much longer. Rest, that was all I wanted at the moment.

I swallowed thickly, the liquid feeling like that of a turned-on shredder moving down my dry throat.

And water. Water would be so good at the moment.

My foot tripped on a small bump in the road and I fell face first into the hard, unforgiving ground, eliciting a groan from my mouth. My world spun and my hands clenched into fists as I tried to keep myself from drowning in the pool of darkness. Everything that spun and spun and spun, a roller coaster I had no way of getting out of.

I wouldn't- I couldn't stop now. Not here, not in this tunnel. Alone. I had to keep going, I had to! But- but it was... It was just so tempting, to just lie on the ground. To close my eyes for a blissful moment and allow my consciousness to drift away. Just a few minutes- even seconds of rest. It was all so, so tempting. So hard to resist.

But I couldn't- though I really wanted to. No, no, no, no, no, _yes. _My eyes shut slowly, too heavy for me to keep open. I struggled and struggled to get up and continue- but the ground, the comfortable, coaxing ground! It was bumpy and it was rough, but it was just so nice to lay on. So, so cool and so, so relaxing.

I sighed.

A few minutes wouldn't hurt.

* * *

When waking up, the last thing people usually expect is to find a large, very anime-ish face close to their own. Especially if it so happened that the large, anime-ish face belonged to what was easily recognized to be Gon's. His large, round honey orbs blinked, swirling with concern and relief and confusion and whatever else was there that I couldn't distinguish.

He grinned. "Hey, you're finally awake!"

I jumped, shrieked, and tried to pull myself away from him.

That resulted in a harsh, painful blow to the back of my head, courtesy of the wall. "Hamburger- cheese- banana! Ugh! That HURT!" I groaned and moaned and squeaked in pain, clutching at my head and I could feel what I knew to be tears prickling in my eyes. That hurt. Like really, really hurt. Badly. My head throbbed and burned, and it was far from a pleasant feeling. I really wanted to writhe on the floor.

"Hiei, are you alright?"

"...Hamburger...?"

"Banana and cheese...?"

I blinked and looked up to see Killua staring at me, as well as the other three boys of the group. Each with differing expressions. I blinked again, and then blinked some more. "...uh, huh?" This was so weird. Hadn't I gone to sleep? "Why are you guys here? Where am I?" I looked around, my frown only deepening at seeing the marsh land that was Swindlers Swamp.

Other applicants of the Hunter Exam were here as well, and quite many of them. I think I even see Satotz far in the front.

Was I still dreaming or something?

"Did you hit your head a little too hard and went all weird and stupid?" Killua questioned. He was just staring and staring at me, as if there was something wrong with me.

"We just came out of the tunnel. It's been about five minutes or so, but the examiner hasn't done anything," Gon informed me, ignoring Killua.

"Ah," I breathed out.

Okay, so I was still sleeping. And the running in the tunnel? Riiight, I remember. My legs ached, like pretty badly. I faintly wondered whether I'd even be able to stand with how weak they felt. Actually, my whole body felt weak. I really didn't want to get up, let alone do anything. I just felt so tired and, now that I was paying attention to it, my head was throbbing too. Had I hit my head hard when I fell?

Then a new question popped into my mind. Could people sleep when dreaming?

Actually, could people even feel pain when sleeping?

_A figment of my imagination, maybe? _I wondered. It was possible. Not the first time it had happened to me. But it sure was weird.

"How are you feeling now?" Gon inquired.

I looked back up at the three, and found that they were staring at me. Still. I think Killua and Kurapika had the most unnerving stares. Their eyes just looked so blank, so apathetic; it was like they were staring into my very soul, searching me up and down and calculating my worth. I shrunk in on myself.

"Fine, thank you for worrying," I briefly flashed the caring boy a small smile, just for reassurance. "By the way, what am I doing here?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," I began uneasily, looking away, "I'm pretty sure I fainted inside the tunnel. How did I get up here?"

Killua shrugged, the others exchanged a look. I frowned at the actions.

"Perhaps you fell unconscious upon exiting the tunnel, but being so tired you believed that you had done so inside the tunnel and thus, did not know of your actions?" Kurapika suggested helpfully.

My attention flickered to him. He still looked stoic, but it wasn't as apathetic as earlier. A little more gentler, closer to his usual self in the anime. However, it was still far from the friendly face I was used to. I wondered why? "I guess that could have happened," I said. But something just didn't make sense to me.

_Falling unconscious + falling face first into the floor = waking up leaning against the wall. _Okay, that just made absolutely no sense at all.

How was that possible?

_Is this one of those anime logic things that should never be questioned? _I wondered.

Cause honestly, I'm pretty sure something like that was impossible. Like, how could someone fall face first into the ground and then wake up to find themselves leaning with their back's to a wall? How did I even end up against the wall? Wasn't that like, breaking the laws of the universe? Ugh, all these questions was making my head ache. I shook it gently. No more thinking, I told myself. This was all just so complicated. Anime was complicated. Even dreams were complicated. I don't think I'll ever get such a phenomenon.

I looked back at the four boys, and they were _still _staring at me. I felt self-conscious. "Is there something on my face?" I questioned timidly, touching my cheeks with a hand.

I felt nothing.

Perhaps someone drew on it? Now that would be embarrassing... and rude. Though I admit if I had done that to someone, I'd find it hilarious. But still...

Gon laughed sheepishly. "Ah, sorry. You just looked like you were thinking hard and I didn't want to bother you," he apologized, scratching the back of his head. "I'm glad that you're fine though. You scared me when I found you sleeping here!"

"I apologize for my rude staring. I was merely lost in thought. I did not mean anything offensive by it," Kurapika said.

Killua just shrugged.

My gaze shifted to Leorio, who hadn't said anything and still was staring at me. Okay, now I was really nervous. Was there something wrong with me? Did he not like me or something? Leorio was usually pretty loud, so him looking so serious was pretty unsettling. I hope I hadn't done anything to upset him. "Is there something wrong, Leorio?"

And he just continued to stare.

I shrunk in on myself.

A jab to the ribs, courtesy of Kurapika. "OW! Dammit, that hurt!" he whined, clutching his side. "What the hell was that for?" he yelled at the blond.

"For being rude," Kurapika simply replied. "You should not stare at people so impolitely, especially at the young."

Leorio glared ferociously at Kurapika, ready to yell at him some more for his jab. Then he blinked, his anger seeming to wash away, as if he had just remembered something. He looked back at me and stared again. "You know, now that I really look at you, I feel as if I've seen you somewhere before. Say, have we met before the Hunter Exam? I can't remember," he scratched the top of his head thoughtfully.

My brows furrowed. _I look familiar to him? _That was impossible. We'd never met before, ever. I knew who he was, but he just couldn't know about me. I wasn't from this anime, after all. Or could it be possible? I quickly dismissed the thought. It was useless to ponder on it, because it really couldn't have been possible. _Probably ran into someone who looks like me once or twice. _"No, I don't think so," I replied.

"Looks like pops is getting old and senile," Killua taunted, snickering behind a hand.

"What was that, you little brat?! I'm not old!" Leorio fumed, a fist raised in anger.

"Could've fooled me."

"Guys, stop fighting," Gon scolded.

I giggled at the two's banters. They were always amusing. Kinda like Hiei's and Kuwabara's arguments, though I'd admit the latter's was funnier. Just watching Hiei taunt and badmouthing Kuwabara, with Kuwabara trying - and failing - to hit Hiei was hilarious. Ah, those two were just great together. The two hated each other, but they were friends.

Whether Hiei knew so himself or not. They had their moments.

_Ah, now I feel like watching Yu Yu Hakusho again. I just love the anime! Everyone's so cool and funny in there. _I chuckled to myself. Togashi-sensei was just so awesome for inventing such awesome mangas.

"If you keep laughing to yourself like that, people'll think your deranged," Killua remarked. "...probably are."

I looked up, and my smile never disappeared from my face. "Hehe, sorry. I guess I do look weird laughing like that," I told him.

He frowned, and stared. And stared and stared and stared at me.

I frowned too. Honestly, what was with all the staring? Was there something on my face? I swear there was something on my face, or why else would they be looking at me with so much intent? Or was it that there was something stuck to my teeth? That would be embarrassing.

My fingers twitched; now I wanted to pick at my teeth. I bit my lip, trying to stop myself from doing so. If there was something on my teeth and I didn't do anything about it, it would be really embarrassing each time I opened my mouth and people saw it. But if I did pick at my teeth and found that there was nothing, the action would loo silly and weird. Embarrassing as well. Both options were embarrassing, and I didn't know which choice to pick. To do so or not to do so?

Hmm...

"You're weird," Killua said after a moment. "Normally people get offended by comments like that, you know."

I shrugged. "I find being called weird a compliment. It just means that I'm not the same as everyone else. Which means I'm special and unique. One of a kind," I grinned.

"You really are weird."

Gon offered me his hand and I took it, allowing him to pull me up while holding to the wall for support. My jelly legs wobbled and I gave a small wince. They burned, though I could tolerate it. But I didn't like how hard it was standing. Felt like my legs weighed 25 kilograms each. So, so heavy.

A figment of my imagination as well?

This was torture, I swear.

"I wonder when the running will resume?" I mused.

Killua shrugged. "Don't know."

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see," responded Kurapika.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later and the exit was closed, shutters creaking loudly as they were dropped to the floor and blocked the entrance/exit to the tunnel. I could hear the desperate cries of the applicants inside, screaming for help and for more time as the tunnel closed. Most of the applicants that had made it out of the tunnel ignored the failures, barely sparing them a glance. Those that did regard them, looked either bored or nervous.

I would have pitied those that had failed, but the fact that we'd be running through Swindlers Swamp soon squished that idea. If they could barely standing, let alone conscious, then they would be easy prey for the deadly creatures in this swamp.

I gulped, though. _I wonder if I should've went back just before the tunnel shut. This part of the phase is gonna be hard and I doubt my tired body will be able to survive so long._

Then I thought about what I had just thought, and shrugged. _This is a dream, not like I'm gonna die or anything._

"These wetland creatures will use every trick in the book to fool their prey. An ecosystem in which creatures obtain food through deceit... Hence the name Swindlers Swamp. Stay very close to me so you won't be deceived."

The atmosphere seemed to change with Mr. Satotz words. More tense, more anxious; more panicked. But at the same time, I felt like the other applicants had become more determined, as well. It was weird, especially since I wasn't one to usually notice these things. Though I wasn't really worried about this phase. Well, except for maybe fainting again and getting left behind by the others.

As long as I could keep up, I knew which group to stick to. Killua was one of the most physically fit and stronger characters among the applicants. As long as I stuck to him, I should be fine. I just had to make sure I didn't leave his side. If anything came our way, he could easily deal with it.

And right on cue, someone yelled: "Don't let him fool you!"

I turned along with the other applicants to identify the owner of the voice. Surprise, surprise! A heavily wounded man peered through the side of the small building. He was panting and looked ready to fall, with his wounds reddened with blood. I cringed and quickly looked away.

That was definitely not a pleasant sight, even if fake.

"D-don't fall for it," the man stuttered. I imagined him (though without all the wounds) pointing an accusing finger at Mr. Satotz like in the anime. "He's lying to you! He's an impostor! He isn't the examiner, I'm the real examiner."

Cue the dramatic gasps.

"An impostor? Then what's going on?" questioned Leorio.

Hanzo looked beyond confused, just as a lot of the other applicants I could see. "Then who is he?"

"Look at this." There was a heavy thump in the direction of the impostor. I figured the man had thrown that monkey-ape-creature-thing at the ground for display.

Despite knowing not to, I looked to see the creature. And cringed. Again. There were a few small splotches of dirt and blood on it, where its brown mane hid what I presumed to be the wounds. Tongue hanging out the side of its mouth and eyes rolled back into its sockets, it did a job at looking 'dead'. Had it not looked so injured, I might have laughed.

Why?

Well, its whole body was covered with brown and cream-colored fur. All of it... except its head. Which was a nice shade of light lavender like Mr. Satotz. It looked like the monkey had been trying hard to imitate Mr. Satotz looks, but as hard as it was, only managed the head. The colors were quite off.

_I think I like the '99 version of the monkey. It looked more convincing. This one looks like it's just trying way too hard to look like Mr. Satotz, _I thought.

I ignored the 'wounds' on the monkey's body and concentrated on one particular area. My eyes squinted at it and I hummed, unimpressed. This was something that the 1999 version and the 2011 version held in common.

The monkey had a mouth.

"He looks just like Satotsu-san!" Gon exclaimed in surprise.

"It's a Man-Faced Ape, one of the creatures that dwells in the Numere Wetlands!" the actual impostor explained.

Leorio was even more confused. "A Man-Faced Ape?"

"Man-Faced Apes love the taste of fresh human flesh. However, their limbs are long and thin, so they're quite weak. That's why they disguise themselves as humans. They trick humans into following them into these wetlands, where they team up with other animals to kill and devour them. He intends to trap every single applicant!" he yelled, pointing once more at Mr. Satotz.

Most were ready to turn on Mr. Satotz.

My hand shot up in the air and I waved it enthusiastically. "Imposter! Imposter! I got a question! How come that monkey has a mouth?" I asked.

...

...

...

I looked around, the sudden silence at my question making me wonder what I did wrong. "What?" I questioned, completely confused.

Leorio slapped his forehead and groaned beside me. "You're an idiot, aren't you?" he said, narrowing his eyes down at me. "What kind of question is that?!"

"What do you mean I'm an idiot? That's a perfectly reasonable question!"

"What?! No it isn't!" He poked my forehead harshly. "There's something wrong with your head, isn't there? Did you hit your head too hard or something?"

I pouted indignantly and slapped his hand away. "No, I'm fine! What I meant was, if Mr. Satotz and the monkey were the same kind of creature, why does the monkey have a mouth and Mr. Satotz doesn't? It just doesn't make sense." I harrumphed in annoyance. "They look different, so there's no way they can be the same. It's logic."

"It's stupid. Obviously, Satotz isn't human," Leorio argued.

"Now you're being stupid."

"What was that?"

"Mr. Satotz is human, and that's a fact. And the monkey and that impostor are the real impostors."

He raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"Are you sure? How do you know?" This time it was Gon who spoke, looking completely curious and nothing more.

I smiled proudly. "Call it a girl's intuition."

Leorio, along with many other applicants, face-vaulted. There were even some that face-palmed at my reasoning. I pouted; that sure was a rude reaction. I was being completely honest and they looked like I had just said the most stupidest thing in the world.

Meanies.

"Listen here! You can't just tell us you know what he is and then say it's 'woman's intuition'! That's no proof at all!" Leorio yelled in my face, poking my forehead a few times.

Thus ensued a glaring contest between us.

Out of no where, three cards flew at both Mr. Satotz and the impostor. Most were caught by surprise, some even jumping back or gaping in shock. I broke eye contact and searched the applicants for the owner of the cards. My frown turned upside down and stretched wide into a grin. There, not far from me to the left, stood Hisoka. The ultra-cool, ultra-creepy, ultra-smexy magician himself.

I unconsciously let out a squeal as I fought not to fangirl all over him.

He was just so cool! So, so awesome and so badass and so strong and so smexy and so- so... he was just so everything! I honestly loved him, even with all his creepiness. I actually found it quite amusing.

A thud sounded, the real impostor falling flat on his back, dead. Mr. Satotz stood completely unharmed, Hisoka's cards caught in between his digits.

"I see, I see. That settles it, you're the real one."

I gave another, very fangirl-ish, squeal.

Hisoka smirked his usual creepy (and smexy) smirk and threw a few cards at the monkey-with-Mr.-Satotz-face, who had jumped up in a futile attempt to escape unscathed.

I allowed a small cringe as another thud echoed, doing my best _not _to look at the creature. Me and blood did not mix.

"Examiners are Hunters selected by the committee to perform this duty without pay," Hisoka said. "Any Hunter bearing the title we seek would have been able to block that attack."

"I shall take that as a compliment. However, should you attack me again, for any reason, I will report you for turning on an examiner and you will be immediately disqualified. Are we clear?" Mr. Satotz warned.

"Yes," Hisoka replied.

And after that little scene, Mr. Satotz continued where he had left off before the whole incident. Before long, we were running once more.

I begrudgingly followed behind, my legs shaky and wobbly and I winced every few seconds at my aching body.

Why did it have to be running of all things?

* * *

_Running, running, running~ Oh, how I hate running~ If I have to keep running, I'm gonna hit someone~ _I mentally sang.

I groaned for what felt like the thousandth time that day as I slipped on the slippery mud and tried not to fall. My feet ached even more than before from the sheer effort it took to keep upright and and close to Mr. Satotz. Who knew running through marsh land could be so hard? I swear some otherworldly being was out to get me with all this stupid running.

Or Togashi-sensei, as he made this phase.

I bit my bottom lip; I was going to collapse soon from all this running, I could feel it.

"Hey, you alright," Gon asked.

He was running on my right, with Killua on the other side of him. I gave the worried boy a not-so-reassuring nod, splitting my attention between keeping myself going and looking at Gon. I didn't even bother to try and speak to him.

I love you Gon, I do. But I'm not stupid enough to waste my energy trying to talk to someone when I'm on the verge of collapsing and there are many, many dangerous creatures here who could easily swallow me whole in their giant mouths. Or make my body explode. Or anything else that the creatures in this swamp had to offer.

I heaved a groan in between my panting. The fog was getting thicker, making it harder to see what was around me. I was seriously ready to pull out my hair. As if running in a swamp wasn't bad enough! I swear, it felt like something out there was trying to make me get eaten by some huge creature in this swamp.

And then the world decided I hadn't been tortured enough tonight.

An overwhelming amount of killer intent shot out behind me and I shuddered in fear, the cold chill that ran down my spine a warning of danger to come. My concentration lost, my foot slipped in the mud and I found myself falling forward. I shrieked and reached for the nearest thing to me - which happened to be Gon. With my hand holding tightly to his bicep, I fell to my knees hearing a chorus of yelps.

"Kiii!" I squealed, cringing at the sticky, dirty mud that clung to my grey pants.

This was definitely not what I needed.

I opened my eyes, my hand still stubbornly holding to Gon's, and I found him crouching beside me, Killua forced to hold him up, keeping the spiky-haired boy from crashing face-first into the ground. Blushing in embarrassment, I laughed sheepishly and quickly let go. "I'm so sorry!" I apologized, standing.

Oh my gosh, I can't believe what I had just done. Stupid legs for giving in on me. Stupid Hisoka for scaring me like that. I slapped my hands to my face in an attempt to hide it-

...and squeaked when I felt mud dripping in between the flesh.

The two boys were immediately laughing at me.

I just blushed even redder.

"You're a klutz on top of being weird," Killua remarked.

He continued to laugh even as I pulled my hands away from my mud caked face. It looked all brown and wet and just eww. I probably would be laughing at myself too if I wasn't so embarrassed. I couldn't believe myself!

"It's okay, don't worry," Gon said. "I'm not mad. Anyway, we should get going. We're already behind and if we don't, we might not be able to catch up to the proctor."

With those words, we continued on our way. My lungs ached and my legs burned, but I endured. I tried my hardest to focus on running and only running - as well as not falling flat on my face. That would be yet another embarrassing incident added to my growing list. And it didn't take too awfully long to catch up, but by that time I was once more panting and exhausted.

I seriously hated running.

The killing intent hadn't vanished, leaking in waves from Hisoka. And while I usually loved him and would love to be around him, I couldn't help but inch closer to Killua (Hisoka wasn't as interested in him compared to Gon). The two were running on either side of me, which I'm pretty sure was Gon's way of making sure I didn't fall again. He had moved from in between Killua and I to make sure I was in the middle.

The little sweetheart.

"I really don't wanna be here," I muttered under my breath, voice quivering.

"Is something wrong, Hiei?" Gon asked, concerned.

I just winced. "We really should go up. Better yet, right behind Mr. Satotz."

"I agree," Killua said.

Gon smiled. "Sure. It'll be easier to keep sight of the examiner."

_That's not what I meant, Gon, _I thought. Another chill crawled up my spine.

"That's not what she meant, Gon."

The boy looked confused.

Was it me, or was the killing intent just getting worse and worse? Was Hisoka that bored that he was ready to murder the closest being to him? He was seriously thinking of mass-murder, wasn't he? It sure felt like it. And now I was officially terrified. Hisoka was terrifying.

"We're more concerned about increasing the distance between us and Hisoka. Staying too close to him is dangerous," Killua explained. "I can smell it in the air."

"Smell?" Gon sniffed the air, resembling that of a dog. "Hmm... I don't think he smells."

_That's not what he meant, Gon... _Gon was just so adorable in his antics. But really, he was even worse than I was at reading the atmosphere. And that's saying quite a lot. But I guess that's one of the things that I liked about Gon. His obliviousness was cute. Very cute. Maybe if I wasn't ready to die from running, I would have hugged him.

Now I wanted a hug.

Gon opened his mouth wide and sucked in a breath.

I knew immediately by the action what he was planning. I jabbed Killua and covered my ears, signalling him to do the same. He didn't understand.

The unfortunate soul.

"LEORIO! KURAPIKA! KILLUA SAYS WE SHOULD MOVE UP!"

I could almost hear the grumbling Killua made at Gon's yelling. Okay, now he understood.

I didn't uncover my ears just yet, though. Patiently waiting for the yelling to seize.

"MORON! IF I HAD THE STRENGTH I'D ALREADY BE UP THERE!"

"Don't worry about us!" Kurapika yelled back.

Just to make sure it was completely safe, I waited a moment before uncovering my ears. I let out a sigh; oh gosh was it hard to run and cover my ears. I winced. _How much longer until this run is finished? I'm seriously on the verge of collapsing. This is so freaking hard! Why Togashi-sensei? Why'd you have to create this phase? Why not cooking or making a puzzle or something?_ This was torture.

"Come on Gon, Hiei," Killua beckoned, increasing his speed.

"Ah, wait!" Gon said after him.

I groaned in misery. It was already hard trying to keep up with them, couldn't they see just how much effort this took? But, not wanting to be killed by Hisoka, I forced myself to increase speed. I wondered, if I asked Gon, would he carry me? He was definitely strong enough, that was for sure. I doubted he would be unable to.

But the problem was that he might not accept.

_Should I ask?_

Soon the fog became even thicker and thicker, to the point that I had to squint in order to see even a couple of feet in front of me. Gon and Killua, who were right beside me, were barely visible to me. I worried my bottom lip, my eyes darting from right to left, to right to left. For some reason, I got a bad feeling about this. Like something's about to happen, yet I didn't know what. That greatly unnerved.

"I hear people screaming all around us," Gon said.

Okay, thanks Gon. Because that's what I wanted to hear. I bit harder at my bottom lip, yet not yet hard enough to pierce through. Why, Gon? Now I was aware of all the screaming going on around us. This was way, way too scary for me. Though strangely thrilling at the same time.

I felt like groaning again.

"Just stay on your guard," Killua told us.

"I wonder if Leorio and Kurapika are okay..." Gon muttered worriedly.

We suddenly stopped. Before I knew it, the ground shook and cracked, a giant mouth trapping us in. I screamed along with the boys. My only thought was, _Damn you Togashi!_

The giant toad shut its mouth, blocking any means of escape. I screamed all throughout my experience inside its mouth, its nasty, smelly, stinky saliva wrapping around my small form like a blanket. I was just covered in it and I wanted to gag so badly. Honestly, it was just gross. But all I could do was scream and curse whatever was out there for letting this situation happen.

"Hold on," came a muffled voice.

And that's exactly what I did. Whichever of the two my hands grabbed hold of first, that was the one I cling to desperately. The mouth of the frog suddenly opened and we were spat out, saliva and all. With my eyes shut tightly, I found myself falling on something soft, or at least softer than the ground.

"Ow..."

Opening my eyes, green clashed with blue.

I screamed, startled. My body jumped up and off of the silverette I was laying on and I backed away as far away as I could, my cheeks flushed. But of course, I wasn't embarrassed enough in one day. My foot slipped on the mud and saliva and I found myself landing flat on my rear.

...

...

...

"Well, at least my face isn't caked in mud anymore," I muttered.

I was trying to be positive, and I completely failed. Staring at my hand which was, yet again, covered in mud, I couldn't help but feel disgusted. First mud, then saliva, and now it was a mixture of both. This day sure was pleasant, wasn't it?

Killua cringed and shuddered, standing up and wiping his hands on his shorts, only to cringe even more. "Eww, gross. I have mud and saliva all over me now," he complained.

He suddenly regarded us.

I made an 'X' with my arms. "You are not going to wipe that stuff on me," I objected. "Besides, I'm covered in it like you. It wouldn't work."

We stared at each other.

...and burst out laughing a second later.

"I don't ever wanna go through that again," I said after a moment of silence.

That was just... eww. Really, really gross. I wanted to gag, it was disgusting. Actually, I'm gonna do that right now. I never wanna go through that experience again. It was awful and now I stunk. Even more so than before. I really needed a bath, like really. Badly. I shuddered in disgust. Grandma would be yelling if she were here. She hates dirtiness.

"Hehe, I guess he didn't like the taste of us," Gon said sheepishly.

"It was this." Killua pulled out an orange can that looked suspiciously like the ones Tonpa was handing out.

"Ah, that's from Tonpa-san!" Gon exclaimed. "Guess he saved us."

"At least he's good at something," I muttered.

"Well, I could have escaped," Killua remarked.

"Yes, yes you could have," I agreed under my breath.

I don't think he heard me. Or if he did, he was doing a good job at hiding it. Or just ignoring me.

Gon stared back behind him. His face clearly showed his worry and his next words only confirmed it: "I'm still worried about Leorio and Kurapika."

Killua stood and picked up his skateboard, giving another small cringe in disgust. I followed suit, being careful not to slip and fall once more. That would lead to another embarrassing moment for me, and I was already having more than enough of those moments in one day. My legs trembled and I glared down at them.

_Don't you dare die on me now, _I thought. _We've already gone so far, and we were going to beat this phase together!_

_...Okay, now that just sounded weird, talking to my legs like that. Or rather, thinking. And now I'm thinking to myself. I seriously had to stop. And I'm still thinking to myself. Oh my gosh, why wasn't I stopping? I'm so weird. Really weird. That's not bad is it? Oh gosh, and I'm STILL talking to myself- or thinking- or, _I shook my head. I was gonna stop.

"Forget about them. Let's get a move on." He turned around. "We can still catch up to the examiner," he said.

The silverette didn't even wait for us, and took off running. Or more like jogging in his case, I guess. Since he was incredibly fast, but at the moment was going about average human speed.

"Shall we go?" I asked Gon. "We don't wanna be left behind."

Gon gave a nod and the two of us left off after Killua.

* * *

It took a little while, but I'd finally been able to catch to Killua, and the two of us ran after Mr. Satotz. By the time we'd finally caught up with the proctor, I just wanted to fall to the ground in a heap and sleep forever. Oh god, I swear running is going to be the death of me! Why was running ever invented? Who was stupid/sadistic enough to make it?

Ugh!

Killua stopped and I gratefully do so as well. I bent over and panted harshly, hands gripping my knees. Just how much longer until this phase was over? I was gonna die! And running faster than before just to catch up? Yeah, that wasn't helping me in the least. I just lost too much energy in the run.

"Cool... We've caught up to the main group, Gon, Hiei." He looked behind to stare at me and Gon, only to find that Gon wasn't there. "Huh? Where'd he go?"

"He left to where Kurapika and Leorio are a while back," I replied, pointing behind me. Straightening, I heaved one last long sigh. "Should we get going?"

He arched an eyebrow. "You're not going back with him?"

"Nope," I popped the 'p'. "Even if I wanted to, I can't. I have no idea how to get there."

"Ah," he said in understanding. "Let's go then."

"Yeah."

* * *

Upon stepping foot on the cool, grassy area around the storehouse, I immediately flopped down to the ground. My body hit the soft surface and I let out an 'Oomphf', uncaring to the dirt that stuck to my jacket. I was already dirty, what was more dirt gonna do? I decided I wouldn't care at this point. I was going to get a bath as soon as we were out of here, though.

I really, really stunk.

"Tired already?" Killua snorted.

I just laughed, the sound harsh and scratchy. "Yup. And I'm lay here on this nice patch of ground until the next phase starts."

"Pathetic," he muttered.

He was ignored.

"Ahh~" I sighed, flipping onto my back and stretching my aching muscles. What did my grandmother always say whenever I abruptly stopped running after a long run? To cool down and stretch or something?

Ah, whatever. I was too tired to keep moving. Just stretching will have to do.

After that Killua didn't say anything to me. I didn't say anything to him either. I wondered if he was just ignoring me, but I knew that it was actually because he was worried about Gon, whether he'd admit it to himself at this point or not. The cute little tsundere. We stayed with each other, in complete silence, and I didn't mind it at all. I enjoyed just laying on the soft grass. My body was aching too much for me to do anything else.

Now this was bliss.

"Hey, I think I see Gon," Killua suddenly spoke.

I groaned and pulled myself up to a sitting position. As soon as my green eyes made out the figures that were Gon and Kurapika, my mood did a 180 flip and my face brightened. Standing, I grinned and grabbed Killua's hand.

"Hey, what are you-"

"Gon's here! And Kurpaika, too! Come on, come on! We gotta see them!" I told him.

I proceeded to drag him behind me, ignoring all his protests. I didn't care about them. I just wanted to see Gon, and I'd Killua didn't like that, well he had to deal with it. I wasn't going to let him sit this out. He was going to come with me, whether he wanted to or not. The two needed to get together!

I needed my hourly dose of Gon!

"Gon!" I called out, grinning even wider.

He turned and spotted the two of us. He was immediately grinning as well. "Killua, Hiei!"

Killua and I stopped in front of Gon and as soon as my hand loosened on his pale on, he immediately yanked it back. Usually I'd pout, but at this moment I was just too happy to see that Gon was fine. My arms spread open. "Can I give you a hug? Please? You had me worried there! I thought something happened to you!"

"Some worrying. You were just sighing happily a while ago," Killua muttered to himself.

I, of course, ignored that.

Gon laughed sheepishly. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry you. And sure, I'd love one."

I was immediately hugging Gon. I squealed in my excitement. "Gon, it's official. I love you!" I proclaimed.

Killua made some funny choking noses.

Gon just laughed some more.

We pulled apart, sadly, and I stood back. My grin never wavered. I just loved Gon, he was so awesome and so cute. I could never get enough of him.

"So..." Killua began awkwardly. "How did you get here? I thought you were done for."

"I just tracked Leorio's cologne," Gon stated.

...

...

...

"Cologne?!" Killua questioned, shocked.

I just laughed at his reaction.

Killua stared at Gon strangely. "You really are weird."

"I think he's secretly a dog," I whispered to the silverette.

He nodded. "Definitely."

Gon just laughed sheepishly. "You think so...?"

Mr. Satotz chose that moment to speak. We turned to regard him.

"Excellent work, everyone. Phase two of the exam will occur here, in the Biska Forest Park. So I shall take my leave. Best of luck to all of you." And with that, he marched off into the forest, out of sight.

I grinned in anticipation. Running was hell, but this cooking phase would make up for it. I'll get to meet Miss Menchi and Mr. Buhara, the Epicure/Gourmet Hunters! I was just so excited, especially since I had the honor of cooking for them! Ah~ This was going to be great, I just knew it.

* * *

_Hey guys, so how did you like this chapter? I hope you all enjoyed it!_

_I'd like to thank KieyuuMizuumi and ultima-owner for reviewing the last chapter, that really made me happy. :D And also to those who favorite/followed this story. You guys are just awesome!_

_Well, that's all I've got to say. Until next time and don't forget to review! I love hearing feedback! :D_


	3. Cooking Isn't Always Fun

Tick. Tock. Tick. Tock. The second handle ticked by slowly on the clock hanging atop the gate. I pursed my lips together, leaning forward in anticipation as the second handle hit twelve. With a loud groan, the two doors parted way to allow us sight into the room. I grinned widely, not noticing that I was the only one smiling while all the others had a nervous frown on their lips.

The doors opened completely, revealing rows of stations where the applicants would make their dishes. Up ahead was a tall house with the doors opened and allowing us to see what was inside. My eyes lit up upon spotting two figures, one of a giant and the other of a small lean person (in comparison to the first) and I couldn't help the excited gasp I let out.

Menchi sat casually on a couch, her legs crossed and arms spread behind her on top of the couch. Her hair, like in the newer anime, was a pretty turquoise color and her eyes a green. She wore a red bra... swimsuit top... whatever that was along with a mesh top over it, and denim shorts with red almost knee-length high-heel. With her lean figure and pretty face, I would easily admit she was gorgeous.

Then there was Buhara, who sat behind the couch with a dorky expression. He was fat, just like in the anime, and he wore a yellow long-sleeved shirt along with green pants. From what I could see, he wore no shoes on his feet just like in the anime.

Looking at the two, I could not help but smile. But at the same time, I wanted to frown. If their appearances were that of the newer anime, then that pretty much guaranteed that this was going to go with the newer anime. I had really wanted for the sushi part to appear in this exam, now more than before.

I looked down at my clothes, which were semi-dry now and sticking to my body. If I had not been so busy cringing at being eaten by a gigantic frog and then barfed out, I would have marveled at my attire as I'd never gave looking at it a thought. But since I was too preoccupied pitying myself, I did not notice. My only thought was how now I wouldn't be able to was myself in a river with how this phase was going to go.

"Will all the applicants who passed the First Phase please enter?" came a feminine voice from inside the building.

With permission given, the applicants hurried inside. I paced alongside Killua and Gon, a look of awe in my eyes as I stared at Menchi. I just couldn't believe I was also seeing her! This was just so amazing!

"Welcome. I'm Menchi, the Second Phase examiner."

"And I'm Buhara, the second examiner," Buhara introduced.

The applicants stared anxiously at the two examiners, most nervous of what the next phase would be like. I just continued to smile. Suddenly, a loud groan pierced the air and the applicants tensed at the unknown sound. They looked around, trying to spot where the sound came from.**  
**

"W-what was that sound?" one applicant stuttered.

More applicants voiced their confusion and I tuned them out. I already knew what the sound was, but I didn't open my mouth for I might change the plot if I told everyone.

"You must be hungry," Menchi said, turning her head to look up at Buhara.

"I'm starving," Buhara replied.

With that said, Menchi stood up and placed her hands on her hips, a smirk playing on her lips. "There you have it. Phase Two will involve," she paused for dramatic effect, "cooking!"

"C-cooking?" one applicant, which sounded a lot like Hanzo, stuttered in surprise.

"Wait, cooking?! We're here to take the Hunter Exam!" another applicant exclaimed.

"That's right," Menchi said with a small nod, "You're challenge for the Second Phase is to prepare a dish that will satisfy our palate."

"Why do we have to cook?!" one more applicant questioned angrily.

"That's because," Menchi began, "we are Gourmet Hunters."

"Huh?" came the second applicant that spoke. "Pfft." He let out a derisive laugh, with the other many applicants joining in with him.

I glared at those who laughed, my mouth set in a deep frown. My hand twitched to slap one of them, even punch them for their rudeness. Here Menchi was, a Double-Star Hunter, probably the top Gourmet Hunter in the world, taking her time in playing proctor for us, and they were laughing at her?! Did they not know who she was? I swear, it was like they had a death wish or something.

"Man, what a letdown."

"They're Gourmet Hunters..."

Menchi, despite her anger rising the more the applicants laughed, did not saying anything against them. Not yet at least. Instead, she just crossed her arms and closed her eyes in what I imagined was a way to calm herself before she killed one of the laughing applicants.

"So, Gourmet Hunters, what are we supposed to make?" came fatty's voice.

"Buhara," Menchi called.

The bigger Gourmet Hunter pushed himself off the ground and stood, allowing us the pleasure of seeing just how tall he really was. Despite already seeing this in the anime, I still could not help but marvel at how gigantic he was. Not in weight, or even in stomach size. No, it was because of how tall he was. He could easily be the size of a small house, and that I found amazing.

"The required ingredient is pork," he said.

"Pork?!"

"As in pig meat?"

Buhara proceeded as if he had heard nothing, "You're free to use meat from any of the species of Biska Forest pigs. You must use the cooking facilities here to prepare the pork. And you only pass if we both find it delicous," he told us.

"And we will evaluate more than just the taste. Don't underestimate the intricacies of cooking," Menchi added. "Got it? When we've both eaten our fill, the exam will end."

"We get it, we get it. Let's just start," fatty said.

"Then the exam's Second Phase," he paused and slapped his hand onto his belly, creating a sound reminiscent of a gong, "begins now!"

The applicants turned and ran out the place to catch themselves a pig. I turned along with them and ran beside Gon and Killua, Kurapika and Leorio beside us as well. We ran into the forest and slowed down once we entered, deciding to walk leisurely as we searched.

"Catch a pig and cook it," Leorio stated, "This is way easier than the First Phase."

"I disagree," I said.

Leorio and the other three looked at me with a confused expression, silently asking me to elaborate.

"What makes you say that?" Leorio asked.

"Well..." I began. "You know Menchi? She's supposed to be renowned for her skills. I heard that she's a Second-Star Hunter and only 21. I doubt someone of her skills and status would be so easily pleased. And since you all laughed at her for being a Gourmet Hunter, I'm sure that she'll be getting back at us for it in some way."

"You don't say..." Leorio trailed off.

"If I may ask, how do you know so much about her?" Kurapika inquired.

I shrugged; "It's hard not to know when you're as popular as her. I'm actually surprised you haven't heard of her," I lied casually. Of course I would know about her; after all, I did watch the anime. Plus, I had looked her up on the Hunterwikia a few times when I was bored. I gotta admit, she was rather awesome for a side character.

Gon suddenly stopped and jumped down the grassy hill in front of us, sliding down it on his butt and his hands holding the straps to his backpack tightly.

Killua's face brightened when he saw what Gon was doing and he immediately followed Gon's example. "Ya-hoo!"

The three of us looked at each other and nodded.

Leorio went down next, followed by Kurapika, and then I pushed myself off down the hill. I heard a cry from Killua, but I was too busy laughing in joy to notice that Gon had stopped and I was going to ride into Kurapika.

"Oomph!" I let out as I hit Kurapika.

"What was that about, Gon?!" Killua questioned angrily.

I blinked, the dull pain from smashing into Kurapika's back slowly retreating. I looked up and to my right when I heard the faint crunching of something.

"Found them," Gon replied.

"Huh?"

I let out a gasp as my eyes landed on the ginormous pigs which were punching casually on bones.

"Pigs!" Leorio exclaimed.

I shuddered at the sight of the bones in the pigs' mouths, a little disgusted with the image.

"Uh... They're chewing on bones," Leorio stated the obvious.

"Don't tell me... They're carnivores?" Kurapika questioned.

The pigs abruptly stopped and their gazes turned to us, their eyes wide in anger and hunger. With a squeal, the ginormous pigs stomped their feet and charged at us.

I let out a scream, along with Leorio, and the five of us scrambled to get up. We swiftly turned and ran for our lives, me hoping and praying that they wouldn't catch us. _Damn you Togashi! _I yelled in my head in terror, willing my legs to go faster as I felt myself panic.

More screams were heard in the air as the applicants up ahead of us turned and ran as if their lives depended on it. Which, in a way, it was. Most weren't able to react fast enough and the pigs' noses smashed into them, sending most of them flying while the others were squished between the trees and the pigs' snouts.

I would have laughed at the hilarious picture this presented, much like how I laughed when I first watched this scene. But actually experiencing it, I could only shut my eyes and increase my speed. _Oh my god, oh my god. I'm gonna die! I'm so gonna die!_ I exclaimed in my head.

So focused on running, I did not hear what Leorio said.

I took a sharp right, separating myself from the group. Hoping that the action would help me escape from the pigs, I screamed in terror when one took a right as well and continued charging at me.

_I'M GONNA DIE! I'M GONNA DIE! I'M GONNA DIE! _I chanted in my head.

"Get outta the way! Get outta the way!" I heard an all too familiar voice.

I didn't waste a second as I jumped to my left. I rolled on the ground, my hands up by my head in an act to protect it. When I stopped and looked up, I found my big getting rammed in the side by another. I slowly stood, still shaken from what just happened, and blinked in surprise. My gaze trailed to the right and I found Leorio panting, staring at the two fallen pigs in victory.

Movement caught my eye from the left and I watched as Leorio's pig slowly stood, shaking its head. My pig, who had a giant red bruise on its side, gave a pained cry and slowly stood as well. I panicked.

"Their foreheads! Hit their foreheads!"

Leorio turned to look at me in confusion and I yelled, "Don't just stand there! Attack! Their weakness is their foreheads!"

I didn't wait for his reply. While the two pigs were still in their daze I charged, picking up a sturdy stick on the way. I jumped and raised the stick over my head, smacking Leorio's pig hard in the forehead. It gave a loud squeal, but I ignored it. Instead, I ran over to my pig and hit it over the head just as I did with Leorio's pig.

I only realized what I had done when I landed on the grassy ground and the adrenaline I felt slowly faded. I let go of my stick and fell to my hands and knees, panting and shocked at what I had just done.

"Hiei! Are you okay?" came Leorio's voice.

I shakily looked up at him, my eyes wide with the still shock that I felt. "I..." I paused, unable to get any other words out of my mouth. I took a deep breath and let it out, forcing myself to relax. "I did it..." I said slowly. The words hit me hard and it finally registered in my mind that I had actually taken down two pigs.

I grinned widely and stood up. With a jump and a pump of my hand, I yelled joyfully, "I did it! I did it! Did you see Leorio? I actually did it! I hit the pigs on the heads and defeated them!"

Leorio looked taken aback by my sudden change in demeanor. He smiled a second later and gave a chuckle. "Haha, yeah, you did it. But I'm the one who weakened the pigs," he stated.

I pouted at the man, but smiled a second after. Nothing could stop me from feeling proud of my accomplishment.

"Anyway, we should get these pigs back to where Menchi is and cook them," Leorio said after a moment, pointing a finger in where I thought was Menchi. I nodded, agreeing with the man in front of me.

Walking over to my pig, which was as still as a statue, I couldn't help but wince. It was dead. No more among the living. Despite knowing this wasn't real, I couldn't help but feel bad. While I may have not killed an actual human, the pig was still a living creature.

Shaking my head of the depressing thoughts, I grabbed one of the pig's legs and gave a pull.

It didn't budge.

I frowned. Giving another pull, this one harder than the first, I felt the pig move only a centimeter before it stopped. I let go of the pig's leg and gave a sigh, my shoulders hunching over. Turning my head to Leorio, I gave him the best puppy dog eyes I could manage.

"Hey, Leorio..." I began, clasping my hands under my chin.

He turned to me and tensed. "Yeah...?"

"Can you... can you help me carry my pig back to the exam site? Pleeeease?" I stretched the last word out.

"What? No way! You carry your own pig!" Leorio exclaimed indignantly.

I pouted; "But I can't~ Please, Leorio? I'm the one who got you your pig, remember?"

"I did most of the work!"

"But I defeated it for you!"

"So?"

"You owe me!"

"What?!"

"You owe me! So please help me carry my pig back? I'm begging you."

"Why can't you?"

"I told you, I can't! It's too heavy!"

"And so you want me to carry the pig?"

"...yes."

"No."

"But you owe me!"

"And?"

"Pay me back by helping me."

"Why can't you ask someone else?"

"Because you owe me and you're closer to me. Plus, you wouldn't want me to make you do something horrible later on as payback, right?"

"..."

"..."

"Fine..."

* * *

When Leorio and I finally arrived back at the exam site, I helped Leorio push my pig to the closest stations to us. We were the last ones there since Leorio had to carry two pigs because I wasn't strong enough to carry my own. But hey, I helped at least! So he didn't do all the work. ...maybe most, but not all.

Looking at my station for all that it contained in it, I found that there was a sink, knives for cutting, a cutting board, then there was a basket with a punch of different vegetables in it. There was also a trash can and then a giant cooking spit beside the station. I smiled grimly as I picked up a knife. I couldn't believe what I was going to do.

I turned to the pig and grimaced, a shiver of disgust running down my spine. I slowly made my way to my pig, which lay on its side, and I shakily brought the knife to my pig's stomach. Stopping just before the knife could pierce the animal's flesh, I let out a shaky breath.

Oh my god, I can't believe I was actually going to do this. I have never done this before, nor did I even wanted to or expected to do it. My breath hitched in my throat and I had to take a short pause to wipe my hands clean of the sweat on my pants. With a deep intake of breath and outtake, I pushed my knife forward, finally finding my resolve.

"Hey, Hiei!"

I screamed, my hands pushing the knife deep into the pig as I started. Freaked out, I spun to see who called out to me, my eyes wide like a bugs and my hand pushing the knife across the pig's stomach, though I didn't notice.

"I'm sorry!" I yelled loudly.

I let go of the knife in my hands and gripped my shirt right over my heart, my body shaking from the fright I had experienced. The knife dropped to the floor with a soft thud but I did not hear it, too busy trying to calm my beating heart.

"Oh, sorry. Did I scare you?" came Gon's voice.

I looked up slowly and found Gon looking at me with worry and guilt, and Killua with his arms crossed and amusement dancing in his eyes. I sighed in relief when I saw that it was just them.

"I'm sorry, you guys just startled me," I replied to him, my voice quivering.

"More like scared the crap out of you," Killua corrected, a smirk playing on his pretty face.

"Killua..." Gon said.

I shook my head at Gon's concern. "No, it's fine. He's right. You guys did scare me. It's all my fault," I told him.

Gon's frown deepened. "But it's because of me that you got scared," he said, pointing at himself.

"Yes, but it was me who got scared. I should have known that it was just you guys and shouldn't have been so scared."

"Maybe, but you were concentrating so hard on the pig. I should have noticed this and approached you better."

"Gon~ I told you it's my fault, and I'm sorry."

"But it's my fault, so I'm sorry."

"No, I'm sorry."

"But I'm the one who should be sorry."

"I said I'm sorry!"

"But I'm sorry!"

"Gon!"

"Hiei!"

"Dear god," Killua grumbled, looking both amused and slightly exasperated by our petty fight. "Why not just say it's both of your fault?"

Gon and I looked at Killua in surprise, before looking at each other, then back at Killua, before once again looking at each other. We stared for a moment, blank-faced, before bursting out into laughter

"So it's both of our fault?" Gon said.

I nodded. "It's both of our fault."

I turned and looked back at my pig, haven forgotten it when I was arguing with Gon. I flinched at the cut I had made through its stomach, feeling like gagging at the glimpses I saw of its innards. Walking over to my fallen knife, I picked it up with shaky hands and turned to the pig, knife in hand, and winced. I paled at the thought of continuing what I was doing.

"Are you okay, Hiei?" Gon asked, walking up to my side.

I gave a small nod, the only motion I could make with how shaken up I was.

"Are you sure? You look shaken," Gon pointed out.

I frowned, thinking of what to say to him to get him not to worry anymore. I was fine. Well, fine enough. I wouldn't want him to worry further about me. I was already feeling guilty even now. "I... I'm fine."

Well, that sure sounded convincing.

"You get nauseous when cutting or looking at cut flesh," Killua did not ask, he stated.

I didn't reply back, but that was enough of an answer for the two.

"If you'd like, we can help you," Gon offered, putting a comforting hand on my shoulder.

"Gon!" Killua said indignantly.

Gon smiled sheepishly at Killua, giving a small laugh. "Come on, Killua. We can't just leave her like that. Mito-san always told me that I should girls when they need it."

Killua pouted, but did not say anything after that.

"So what do you say?" Gon asked me.

I looked between the two, surprised. I opened my mouth to say something, more particularly to deny their offer because I didn't want to be a bother, but no words escaped my mouth. So instead, I nodded my head, mentally slapping myself when I realized that I hadn't denied them but had instead accepted.

Gon held out his hand, silently asking for the knife. "Here, I can finish cutting it for you," he said.

I looked at him in uncertainty, but nodded after a moment, giving him the knife I had clutched in my hand. He took it with a smile and walked over to the pig to continue my job. I looked at Killua with small confusion, silently wondering what he would be doing since I didn't see him move.

"What about your guys' pig?" I questioned.

Gon stopped and looked at me. He blinked slowly, registering my words, before letting out a small cry. "Ah, I forgot!"

I lifted my hand; "I can cook them while you guys take care of my pig. It's the least I can do for you," I suggested.

"Really?" Gon asked with a smile.

I smiled and nodded. "Sure, just tell me where your guys' pigs are and I'll take care of them. Or try to at least," I muttered the last part under my breath. I wasn't sure whether I could actually cook a whole pig. While I have cooked a bunch of times in my life, I'd never actually cooked a whole pig on a spit.

Gon opened his mouth to reply, but it was Killua who told me. He pointed behind me, one station behind mine, and said, "Mine's right there. Gon's is the one next to mine to the left."

"Alright, thanks," I told him with a nod.

Quickly heading over to Killua's station, as his was closest to mine, I placed my hands on the spit's handle and began rotating the pig, ignoring the image of the pig on the spit as best as I could. I did this for a few minutes before stopping and heading over to Gon's pig, where I proceeded to do the same. I continued this for at least twenty minutes before Killua and Gon decided to come to me.

"Hey, we're done, so if you want, you can take your pig now," Killua told me.

"We gutted the pig and put it on the spit so it should be fine now, I think," Gon said.

I stopped wheeling Killua's pig and turned to look at them. "Oh, okay. Thank you very much, I really appreciate it," I thanked them.

Killua nodded. "Yeah, sure."

"It's no problem!" Gon chirped.

After a few more exchanges of words, I finally went back to my pig. I was surprised to find that the pig had been cooking for a while, for the skin was beginning to bubble and turn a nice shade of tan. Looks like they let it sit for a while before calling me. I smiled, mentally thanking the two boys for their great help. I never thought that they'd be this nice to me, especially since we barely knew each other.

I continued to cook my meat until I thought that it was ready. Between the breaks I would take from spinning the pig, I would go to the station and prepare some veggies. I had also sneaked in a small snack when no one was looking.

With the pig done, I turned off the fire and went to grab a knife, this one different for the one I first used as I couldn't find it in me to take the first one. I cut off a big slice of the pig, it still being carried on the spit as I wasn't nearly strong enough to take it down, and made two sandwiches of different sizes, wincing as I did.

_This is why I'm a vegetarian, _I thought as I prepared the sandwich.

Once done with the two, I walked over to Menchi and Buhara and set the two dishes down.

"Hmmm," Menchi hummed thoughtfully, hitting the sign she had in her hand lightly against her shoulder, "Well at least this resembles an actual dish."_  
_

Menchi grabbed the small sandwich I made especially for her, while Buhara grabbed the much larger sandwich I made especially for him, seeing as he was bigger and able to take in more. Buhara swallowed it all in one bite and held up his sign with the 'O' facing me. Menchi took her time eating hers, her eyes shut as she munched on her sandwich.

Finally, after a moment - a really, _really _long moment in my opinion - she swallowed and held up her own sign. I physically deflated when I saw the 'X' facing me and gave a defeated sigh. I knew that I wasn't going to pass, but I was still disappointed to see that X._  
_

"Sorry, but it's not good. While it looks good, and the vegetables you chose complement the meat nicely, I can't say that the meat tastes as good. The meat is undercooked, so I can't pass you," she explained.

I nodded dejected and uttered a thanks before walking back to my station with the two dishes in hand. I saw Leorio walking by me carrying a big plate with his whole pig on it, but I payed him no mind. I already knew what was going to happen. Besides, I wasn't in the mood for seeing his results.

I sat on the ground beside my station and brought my knees to my chest, my arms wrapping around my legs as I sulked quietly. _I'm sorry, grandma. I failed..._

After a little while Menchi announced that she was full and no one passed, but I wasn't paying attention to her. Then there was the complaints of the applicants and the commotion they caused right after, but I tuned them out. Finally, the chairman arrived, but I was making shapes on the ground with my pointer finger dejectedly to pay attention.

It was only when the applicants were boarding the chairman's airship and Gon and the three boys were rushing to me did I finally snap out of it. I looked up just as Gon and Killua made it to me, followed by Kurapika and Leorio behind them.

"Hey, you okay?" Gon asked, kneeling down in front of me.

I nodded and gave him a reassuring smile. Standing up, I dusted myself off of the dirt on my clothes. "Yeah, I am. I'm sorry for making you worry, but I'm fine."

"It's no problem! You don't have to apologize," Gon replied.

My smile widened at the boy.

"Hey, if you two lovebirds are done, can we go?" came Leorio's amusement voice.

"Yeah, if you haven't noticed, everyone's heading in the airship," Killua added.

I blushed madly at Leorio's comment and quickly shook my head. "N-n-n-no! We're not lovebirds! We're just... I-I-I mean... Th-that is...! W-we're friends, r-r-right?" I told Gon.

He nodded in agreement, "Yup! We're friends."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say. But we should get going," Leorio said with a smirk.

"You shouldn't tease them, Leorio," Kurapika told him.

We chatted for a few seconds more before finally boarding the airship.

* * *

"Now, everyone," Menchi began, "look down there."

I gulped as I looked down the ravine, my eyes wide in shock and terror. To my right were Killua and Gon, with Kurapika and Leorio beside them. To my left was some random applicant that I didn't care to remember. I shivered as I stared, my fear of heights freezing me to the spot. While I had seen the scene in the anime, and knew that this cliff was large, I never realized just _how _large the gap between the top of this mountain was to the bottom where the river flowed.

"Wh-what is that?" one applicant stuttered out.

"A Spider Eagle's web," Menchi answered simply.

"They build webs down there?" Gon questioned.

Suddenly a strong gust of wind blew at us, almost making me fall back like that fat applicant, what's-his-face, but luckily I had gripped the rocky side tightly before I could get swept away. I shuddered in fear.

"Look below the web," Menchi instructed.

I closed my eyes instead, not able to look down anymore. This was... this was just so scary. How could anyone just so freely jump down without any fear? This was just insane! Togashi was insane for making this!

"Those are Spider Eagle eggs," Menchi continued.

"Spider Eagles build their webs in deep ravines to protect their eggs from predators. This makes their eggs one of the most difficult ingredients to obtain. The eggs are also known as dream eggs," Netero finished for Menchi.

"W-wait a minute... You don't mean we..."

"I sure do," Menchi interrupted the fat applicant who had been hit by Buhara.

"What?" the applicant questioned.

I didn't pay attention to the rest of what was said and done, my mind too preoccupied with thoughts of the many ways I could die by jumping down the ravine. I gave a start when there was another gust of wind which pushed me back, making me fall on my butt. I opened my eyes and my mouth opened wide in surprise when I saw Menchi up in the air, being carried by the updraft.

"This ravine has updrafts that help the hatched chicks fly up to the web," Netero explained.

Menchi landed softly on the ground, her heels making a soft clank as it hit the ground and she presented the egg she carried for all to see. "There, now I just need to boil the egg," she stated.

"Y-you must be joking. No reasonable person would jump down there," the applicant trailed off.

"I've been waiting for this!" Gon exclaimed.

Before I knew it the four boys of my group took a leap off the edge and fell down the ravine, giving a cry of glee.

"Okay, count me in!" Hanzo said, running and jumping off the ledge.

Many other applicants followed after him, jumping off along with the others. I stared in shock at where they stood, not understanding how they could do something so terrifying without feeling any fear. Any hesitance. What were these people made of?!

I turned back to the ledge and gulped. Standing up on shaky legs, I walked to the edge and peered down at the ravine, where most of the applicants that had jumped hung onto the webs. I shut my eyes, my body shaking in terror. _I can do this! I can do this! _I told myself. _I won't die. There's no way I can die. So I can do t__his!_

With another gulp, I clenched my fists and pushed myself off the edge. I felt myself falling and I gave a loud squeal. Wind hit me hard in the face and force my hair to dance in the air as I fell down. I peeked open an eye to see how far I was down, only to realize that that was a horrible mistake as I froze in fear.

"ADJFLDSFIOWJAI FDJAOJEIOAFJ D FJAKL SDJFKLA! DAMN YOU TOGASHI!" I screamed.

Shutting my eyes so I could no longer see, I reached out for something, anything I could grab to help me. My hands brushed up against fabric and I gripped it as hard as I could. My hands ached from the sudden action and I gripped whatever I was holding in a death grip, too scared to let go or even loosen my hold.

_I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! _I repeated in my head.

"GMPHF! Ch... choking... go..."

I gasped and shot my eyes open, my head moving up swiftly to see where the voice came from. I gave another gasp and a blush spread across my cheeks when my eyes landed on familiar blue pants. I quickly averted my eyes, moving my gaze further up until they stopped on a familiar mop of silver hair. My breath hitched in my throat.

_Oh my god, I'm hanging on __Killua's shirt. I'M CHOKING HIM! OH MY GOD! WHAT AM I GOING TO DO? WHAT DO I DO? _I panicked.

"Killua are you alright?!" I questioned.

I mentally hit myself on the forehead, of course he wasn't going to be alright! I was choking him!

Suddenly the boy started kicking his legs around and I found myself being swung around as I held Killua's shirt even tighter. I screamed. "What are you doing?! ASKDLF DKFJSL! Stop it, I'm gonna fall! KYAAAAAA!"

"Bbbgmhmsgh!"

"I said stop moving! I'm gonna fall! I'm gonna fall! KYAA!"

* * *

When we finally got out of the ravine and I was no longer hanging on to dear life on Killua's shirt, all the applicants that got out of the ravine - with Killua and I included, somehow - we boiled our eggs until they were ready and then took them out.

I stood with Kurapika and Leorio since Killua didn't want to be anywhere near me at that moment, too upset with me nearly killing him by suffocation. I slowly peeled the large hot egg I held in my hand half way and took a bite out of it. My eyed brightened at the savory taste and I gave a hum of delight as it practically melted in my mouth. I couldn't believe how good it tasted.

I had heard in the anime that a regular chicken egg could never compare with a Spider Eagle's egg. Now that I actually had a taste of it, I knew they weren't exaggerating. If anything, that was an understatement to how good this was.

"Dream eggs, huh? That name definitely fits this," I mumbled, staring down at the egg I had bitten out of.

_Grandma would have definitely liked this, _I thought.

My eyes saddened at the thought of my grandmother. It's been a whole day since I've seen her and I couldn't help but feel homesick. How was grandma doing? _What am I thinking? _I quickly shook my head of the thoughts. _This is a dream. It's not real. Not like I won't see grandma when I wake up. _I told myself.

Not much longer did we board the airship. I followed after Kurapika and Leorio, a small smile on my face. Next was the game with the chairman, and I wondered whether I would still be asleep and dreaming until that. With the thought of my grandmother out of my head and long gone, I was feeling giddy at the thought of being able to play a game of ball with Gon and Killua and the chairman. I just couldn't wait!

* * *

_So here's another chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed it._

_I'd like to thank both MademoiselleCreatrix and ultima-owner for reviewing the last chapter, you two are just the best! Plus I'd also like to thank those who favorite/followed this story! I really appreciate it!_

_Well, that's all I have to say. Please review and give me feedback. I'd love to know what you guys thought of this chapter! :D_


	4. A Midnight Game

Forty-three applicants had passed Phase Two and were now going onto Phase Three. That was a low number compared to the 405 applicants that begun. I stood among the small crowd of applicants; I was stiff, tired, and wished for nothing more than to sit down and relax. Better yet, sleep for a whole day. Yeah, that would be nice. I'm sure I wasn't the only one that was thinking the same.

I closed my eyes, allowing my aching body to relax even a little as I stood and tuned out Chairman Netero. I already knew what the chairman was going to say, as well as what was going to happen from here, so I didn't bother to pay any attention to him, as rude as that sounded. I just wanted to relax.

_You know, a nice hot shower would be awesome, _I thought.

My body reacted to the thought, shivering in anticipation of the hot water that would hit my skin with soft taps, easing the tension I felt in my muscles. The steaming water relaxing my mind and allowing me to drift off into bliss while at the same time removing the grime on my body.

Yes, that would be so nice.

I sighed dejectedly; oh how I wanted a nice shower right now. It would definitely do me good, that was for sure. I just reeked of the stench of the frog's insides and my feet and parts of my body were coated with a light sheet of dirt and dried sweat. The only wish I had right now was to just soak away my pain, dirt and exhaustion.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by a very familiar and loud voice.

"Hey Hiei, wanna come exploring with us?" Gon asked.

I blinked and pointed to myself, unsure if he was really asking me. He nodded, and I let a lopsided smile grace my lips. "I'm not sure..." I began.

His face dimmed at my answer and he looked as if he was about to frown.

I laughed and gave a clap of my hands. "On second thought, sure! I'd love to go with you," I quickly said.

"Alright, then let's go!" he said with a grin.

With that we left, leaving behind Leorio and Kurapika. _Gon can really be persuasive, _was my last thought.

* * *

After exploring as much of the airship as we could before deciding to sneak into the kitchen and grab ourselves something to eat, the three of us walked leisurely down the hall. In my hand I had an apple with a few bites taken out of it, while the two boys each held some chicken in their hands. Being a vegetarian, it meant I refused to eat meat. So I had grabbed an apple to satisfy my growling belly.

Gon came to a sudden stop, making both Killua and I also halt, and ran to the window and looked down at the glittering ground. "Wow!"

I smiled and went to join Gon in looking at the ground along with Killua. With one hand pressed against the glass I gaped in awe at the beautiful view. If I concentrated at just the glowing lights on the ground, it only looked like gems. _Only gems, _I told myself.

"It looks like the ground is covered in jewels!" Gon exclaimed.

"Yeah!" Killua agreed.

I took in a deep and steady breath and let it out slowly, feeling myself beginning to feel queasy at the knowledge of how high I was above ground. _Yeah, that's right. Jewels... They're just jewels. That's all they are, just jewels, _I reassured myself._  
_

"Hey, I was wondering, Killua..." Gon trailed off.

"Hmm?" Killua asked.

"Where are your mom and dad?" Gon inquired.

I turned away from the window, deciding that that was enough for me. I was already beginning to get nauseous from the view. It was beautiful when I first saw it, but now I couldn't find myself enjoying it as much. Spotting a bench right beside me, I sat on the wood and leaned back, exhaling a breath of air.

"Hmm... They're probably alive," Killua answered. "Probably."

"What do they do?" Gon asked.

"They're assassins," the silverette stated calmly.

Gon let out a sound of surprise and turned to the boy. "Huh? Both of them?"

The ex-assassin gave a very - in my opinion - girlish laugh. "That's your first reaction?" he questioned. He gave another laugh. "You really are a riot!"

_Hmm... I never realized just how feminine Killua's voice sounded, _I thought randomly.

"Huh?" came Gon's cute and surprised reply.

Killua found the other bench closest to him and sat on it. Gon joined him on the seat. "You're the first person who's ever taken me serious," Killua explained.

_Then again, he is voiced by a female, _I continued, ignoring the two as they were ignoring me. _A very, very awesome female who could totally pull off a boy's voice. _I crossed my arms under my chest and gave a quiet hum, so quiet that I doubt Gon would hear it.

_Now that I think about it, Killua's seiyuu's regular voice is really soft and high-pitched compared to the voice she uses with Killua. It's the same with Gon, too. The first time I heard the two seiyuu's singing Yakusoku no Uta along with Hisoka's and Chrollo's seiyuu's I couldn't even recognize Gon and Killua's seiyuus. _I frowned. _Well, I could partially recognize Gon's seiyuu's voice, but Killua's is a different story._

I smiled suddenly and closed my eyes, the melody to the song ringing inside my head and I couldn't help but tap my foot to the beat. _I wish I had my iPhone with me, then I could listen to the song._

"Hey, Hiei?"

_You know, maybe I do have my iPhone with me._

"Hiei?"

_I never did check, or even thought about checking, did I?_

"Hiei!"

I screamed, startled, and fell backwards, hitting the back of my head on the window in the process. "Mghmm..." I moaned in pain, clutching my head as it throbbed. "Ow, that hurts..." I muttered.

Blinking, I looked up as I felt two shadows on me, and found Gon and Killua, the former looking concerned while the latter was amused. "Oh, sorry, I wasn't paying attention. What were you saying?"

"I was just asking you about your parents," Gon said hesitantly.

I blinked, stunned at the question. Was Gon actually asking me about my own parents? I thought that he was supposed to ask Killua that, definitely not me! Then again, I think I remember him asking Killua that... My eyes trailed over to Killua to see that he was also looking at me curiously. I swallowed. "They're... fine," I managed to get out. "I think," I said after a moment.

"You think?" Gon repeated, confused.

"Well... i-it's not like I've seen them recently. I don't know how they're doing at the moment," I replied with a wince.

"Oh."

Killua walked over to my right and flopped down on the wooden bench, his hands crossed over his chest and legs crossed over each other. Gon followed his example, moving to sit on my left.

"What do they do?" Killua asked in a bored fashion.

"Uh," I paused, frowning deeply. "Work?"

"Work?" Gon and Killua repeated lamely.

Killua rolled his eyes. "I meant what kind of work," he said.

"Oh."

"So?" the silverette urged.

"If you don't want to tell us, it's okay," Gon quickly added.

"Well," I began, stretching the word out. "I... I actually don't live with my parents anymore," I told them hesitantly.

"Really? Then who?" Gon asked curiously.

I smiled at the thought of on of the two people who meant the most to me. "I live with my grandma," I answered.

"Really? I live with my grandma too! Though I also with Mito-san as well," Gon chirped.

I smiled at the boy's cheerfulness, finding it just adorable. Oh Gon, if only you'd stay the cute little boy you were now instead of becoming the terrifying person you would be in two years. How I missed this cheerful and naive little boy.

"That reminds me, we never did tell each other why we wanted to become Hunters, did we?" Gon suddenly said after a moment.

"Oh that's right. When we told each other our reasons, Hiei wasn't there," Killua realized.

Gon nodded at his words. "I want to become a Hunter because my dad's also one. I'm gonna be as great as him!"

"I just came as a game. Since the Hunter Exam's supposed to be really hard, I figured it'd be a great way to pass the boredom."

The two looked expectantly at me and I couldn't help but shrink in on myself with a stupid nervous smile plastered on my face.

"Oh, uh... I really don't have a reason for wanting to become a Hunter," I admitted hesitantly, rubbing the back of my head sheepishly.

I wasn't lying, I really didn't have a reason for becoming a Hunter. I just somehow ended up in this place. I guess I really wanted to be in this anime so badly that I'm dreaming about it. Huh... Then again, this isn't the first time, though my other dreams of the Hunter x Hunter world went along different. Still...

"I just came because I thought it'd be fun," I continued.

Gon opened his mouth when suddenly a chill ran down my spine and my eyes widened, almost popping out at the cold feeling that had hit me. The three of us turned swiftly to the source, but saw no one. I let out a shaky breath, realizing what had happened. Sweat dripped down my face and I forced my nerves to calm and body to still its shaking.

I turned along with Gon and Killua when we heard the faint _clanks! _of wooden shoes hitting the floor. I wasn't surprised to see the chairman walking casually, innocently towards us. Gon and Killua weren't as indifferent as I was however.

"Something wrong?" the chairman asked.

The chairman stopped a few feet in front of us and Gon blinked, looking both surprised and confused, while Killua and I just stared at the old man intently.

"Ah, Netero-san," Gon began, pointing to the direction we were previously staring at, "Did you see anyone coming from that side?"

"No," Chairman Netero replied innocently with a shake of his head.

"You're pretty fast for an old man," Killua praised.

"That little trick? I barely moved," Chairman Netero said, smirking.

That ensued the staring match between Killua and Chairman Netero. All I could do was blink and watch as Killua practically glared at the older man.

"What do you want?" Killua questioned rudely. "You don't have anything until the last phase, right?"

"No need to be so unkind. I got bored and was looking for some companions," Chairman Netero answered. "By the way, I meant to ask the three of you... Any thoughts on your first attempt at the Hunter Examination?"

"Uh-huh! It's fun!" Gon chirped. "And there haven't been any of the written exams I was dreading."

"It's been okay," I replied in uncertainty.

"I'm disappointed... I expected the exam to be far more difficult. I assume the next phase will be more entertaining?"

"Well, now... I wouldn't know about that," Chairman Netero said.

The silverette turned swiftly and proceeded to get away from the chairman. "Let's go, Gon, Hiei!" he urged us.

But before I could say anything to him, the chairman beat me to it. "Now wait just a moment. Would you care to play a game with me?"

Killua stopped and turned slowly, sending the man a look that said he was interested.

"Game?" Gon repeated.

"If you're able to defeat me, I'll let you be Hunters!" he proposed.

"Really? I'll play!" Gon immediately agreed.

Chairman Netero nodded at the oldest among the three of us before looking back at Killua, who had turned more to better face him, with a smile playing on his lips. "How about it, eh?"

I think he was asking both of us, but it was hard to tell when the chairman was staring so hard and expectantly at Killua. I sweatdropped at the two's staredown. _I'm totally being ignored, _I thought. But of course...

* * *

I watched as Chairman Netero bounced the ball, standing in the center of the rather large room as the two boys stood a little ways from me. I was seated at the wall, my black and green backpack (which I had only found out I had one after boarding this airship) sitting innocently beside me. After Killua had accept Chairman Netero's offer and I had declined, saying that I wasn't feeling up to it, we had come to this room and the chairman left to change his clothes before coming back.

I bit my lower lip to keep myself from grinning since I didn't think this was the right moment to do so. Soon I'll be able to witness both Gon and Killua fighting (in a way) against the chairman. I was so excited!

"Now I'll go over all the rules. If you can take this ball from me before the airship reaches its destination, you win," the chairman told them.

In unison the two glanced up at the only clock in the room with me following their example a split second after, and we read that it was almost 11 p.m. Chairman Netero continued, "I believe that we're scheduled for an 8 a.m. arrival? Well, that still gives you nine hours. You're free to attack me however you like. I won't touch you."

"Huh? That's too easy. You can't call that a game," Gon argued.

_If only you knew Gon, _I thought with a small smile.

"Why not give it a try first?" Chairman Netero taunted.

"We just have to take the ball?" Killua asked.

"Yeah."

"Then I'll go first," he volunteered.

"Go ahead," the chairman said.

I watched in awe as Killua circled silently around the chairman, creating afterimages of himself in the process. I thought that seeing Rhythm Echo up close like this would be awesome but man, I didn't think it'd be this cool! It was just amazing!

Suddenly, before I could think anything else, the Rhythm Echo broke and Killua flung himself at the chairman, his hand extended to grab the ball. I held in my breath, watching anxiously as Killua fought the chairman for the ball. Up, down, left, right, Killua chased the old man everything around the room. I leaned forward, my eyes darting from one place to the other as I tried to keep up with their movements.

Killua stopped and the old man taunted him. Before I knew it, the boy charged once more at the chairman, this time his leg pulled back to kick the man. The smack that followed echoed around the room and I winced, wondering how that kick would have effected a normal man.

The silverette boy smirked smugly, only to cry out in pain a second later. I covered my mouth with my hands as I fought the laugh off as hard as I could. Killua hopped around on one foot, the other being clutched in his hands, and I had to turn away as I burst out laughing.

That was hilarious!

"Killua! Tag! Tag!" Gon yelled.

I quickly stifled my laughter and watched as the two switched. I was sure I looked stupid at the moment with my creepy smile and shaking shoulders. I was still itching to laugh, but I refrained from doing so because of Killua.

"Y... you," I paused, trying to compose myself, "you okay?"

He huffed and glared at me, though I guess that was expected as I did laugh at his attempt to handicap the chairman. Limping over to where I was, Killua turned and slid down the wall to sit. I shot him an apologetic smile, though he didn't bother looking. I sighed, _Way to go. You got your favorite character mad at you. Nice._

I turned back to Gon just in time to watch him charge at the chairman. With speed I didn't think he had, he disappeared out of my sight. "Iiee!" My head shot up to look at the ceiling where the voice came from and I blinked as Gon fell down after hitting his head on the ceiling.

"Ow!" he squealed, clutching his head in pain.

I couldn't help it, I laughed. Hard.

"Idiot! We know that you can jump really high! Control your strength!" Killua yelled. He crossed his arms over his chest and puckered out his lips sourly; "For a moment, the old man relaxed his guard."

Gon got up a second later, still clutching the back of his head, and gave a nervous laugh, before circling around the chairman. "I messed up there," he muttered.

And the game continued!

* * *

Two hours later and the two boys were still at it. I yawned, covering my mouth with my hand. As enjoying as it was watching the two trying and failing to get the ball from Chairman Netero, I was really tiring. I'd usually be asleep by now, seeing as it was already one in the morning, so now I was ready to fall asleep.

_I'm so tired, _I thought.

"You boys aren't getting anywhere. Why not attack simultaneously?" Chairman Netero questioned. "And Hiei-chan, why not join? You must be getting bored just watching."

"Why you..." Killua exclaimed angrily.

"Okay, I'll get you this time!" Gon yelled.

"M'kay," I said tiredly, giving another yawn.

While the two charged together at the chairman I stood, stretching my arms over my head. I didn't want to fall asleep just yet, so I decided to join them. Just for a little bit, that is. Then I'll go and rest for a while. I took off my green and black hoodie and folded it, setting it down beside the two boys' clothes. I turned just in time to see the chairman slam Gon's face on the ground and dodge Killua's attempt at the ball.

"Hey, you said you wouldn't touch us!" I couldn't help but yell out.

I didn't wait for his reply and ran at him. I jumped up and reached for the ball, only for Netero to easily sidestep my attempt. My feet hit the floor and I turned swiftly, running and grabbing onto both of the chairman's legs. Killua appeared behind the chairman and kicked at the old man's head. Chairman Netero ducked from Killua's kick and twisted to the side to avoid Gon's. I grunted when the chairman jumped, bouncing the ball hard on my head and I tried to hold on to his legs but I failed.

The two boys didn't miss a beat. They ran once more at Chairman Netero, half the way Killua disappeared while Gon jumped and aimed kicks at the ball only for them to be avoided. Killua appeared right behind the chairman and grabbed at the ball. I stood at that moment and charged at the chairman. Chairman Netero sidestepped Killua easily at the same time I slid on the ground and pulled my leg at his feet while Gon jumped at him.

Chairman Netero jumped out of the way and Gon smacked into me hard, our heads butting together as we cried out. We rolled back a ways before coming to a stop; I was laying on the ground on my back while Gon lay on top of me.

"I'm sorry!" the both of us apologized in unison.

We quickly got up and charged at the old man once more. Gon got ahead of me and threw a barrage of punches while I circled around the man. Killua charged behind the man, only for him to sidestep him once more. I pulled my arm back and aimed a hard punch at his side. He saw me and quickly jumped to the left. I was caught of guard, which was a giant mistake, and my eyes widened when I saw both boys heading straight for me.

"Omphf!" I grunted out as they hit me.

We slid a ways back before coming to a stop, and I groaned in pain. Killua was the first to get up; he was hissing and rubbing his head in pain. Then Gon got up and shook his head of the pain. I slowly pulled myself to sit up as well, wincing at the pain I felt in my head and my back. Man did that hurt.

_Damn it, the chairman's really starting to piss me off,_ I thought angrily.

"Hey Hiei, you okay?" Gon asked worriedly.

"M'yeah," I croaked out.

Gon smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head; "Sorry," he apologized.

"Yeah, me too," Killua said hesitantly.

I forced a smile on my face, though I'm sure they could see it was fake. I was pissed now. The chairman was really getting on my nerves and I was afraid that I'd do something stupid like I usually did when I was angry. I clicked my tongue; "Y-yeah, it's okay. I'm sorry too, it was my fault," I told them.

Gon frowned and shook his head, he opened his mouth to say something but I stopped him with a glare. "Gon, please, this isn't the time," I said as calmly as I could.

_Calm down, Lyrica. It's okay, just breath. Gon's only worried about me, so I shouldn't snap at him, _I told myself.

"Come on Gon!" Killua yelled.

Gon sent me another look before nodding to Killua. The two got off of me and ran at the chairman again. I grunted as I forced myself on my feet. Taking deep breaths and letting it out, I slowly forced myself to relax. I was done, I wouldn't play this game anymore. No way. I was already getting angry, it wouldn't do good if I exploded. I wouldn't let the chairman get to me.

With a defeated sigh, I slowly walked back to where my backpack lay and sat beside it. I pulled my knee up close to my chest and placed my elbow on it, resting my cheek on the palm of the hand as I watched tiredly as the boys continued to try to get the ball from the chairman. My head lulled back and forth and I forced my eyes to stay open. Now that I wasn't playing anymore, I could feel how sore and fatigued my body was.

_So tired... _I thought to myself.

I pulled my other knee up to my chest and wrapped my arms around both legs, allowing my chin to rest on my knees. I let out a yawn, blinking my eyes to get rid of the tiredness. My eyes snapped open when I suddenly felt the faintest pressure on me. I looked up, mouth agape, and saw the chairman jump at the ball, leaving behind a steaming footprint on the floor.

Rubbing my eyes, I blinked a few times and narrowed them as I looked intently at the indent that was left behind from the chairman's jump. Wow, was all I could think at that moment.

"I commend you on your efforts," Netero spoke.

My eyes trailed over to where he stood, one hand twirling the ball and the other keeping him standing. I was in awe of the man.

"You're amazing Netero-san! Really amazing," Gon exclaimed.

_Exactly, _I thought with a smile.

"Forget it..." Killua suddenly spoke up, gaining our attention. "I give up. I lose!" he announced.

The boy walked over to where his shirt lay and picked it up as Gon let out a sound of confusion. Killua flipped the shirt onto his shoulder and made a move to walk away.

"Why? We still have time," Gon pointed out. "And just now we came really close."

Killua paused to stare incredulously at Gon. "Jeez. You really have no clue, do you?"

Gon looked confused.

"The old man has barely used his right hand and his left leg," Killua stated.

I gave a nod in agreement. "He's been going very easy on us," I added in.

Killua continued, "We're powerless against him. We could chase him around for a year and never take the ball from him."

"He's got a lot more experience and power than us. He's the chairman for a reason," I said.

I stood up and dusted myself off. Grabbing my backpack, I walked over to Killua as he opened the door.

"Oh, you figured it out? And here I thought I was doing a good job at fooling you," Netero said.

"So that's what he was doing," Gon realized with a hint of shock.

Killua gave a dry laugh. "You really know how to piss me off, old man," he said in irritation. The silverette turned and began walking out. "Come on Gon, Hiei!" he called.

"Oh, I'm gonna play a little longer," Gon told us.

Killua stopped and backtracked, peeking into the room. "Huh?!" he exclaimed.

I stepped aside as Killua made his way to Gon and watched with amusement as he began yelling at the older boy. "Didn't you hear what I just said? It's useless! You won't be able to take the ball away from him!" he barked.

"Yeah! I don't care about the ball," Gon stated calmly with a smile. Killua was taken aback, but Gon continued, "We've only used up half of the time limit. I'm gonna make Netero-san use his right hand before the time runs out."

I bit back a laugh at the look of stupidity on Killua's face at Gon's words. "I see... Yeah, I got it. Good luck," the boy wished, turning away. "I'm getting some sleep," he said, giving a small wave and walked away.

"I think I'm gonna join Killua. I'm getting tired and I want to go to sleep," I said, yawning for emphases. I waved to the two with a smile and left. "Bye!"

Walking out the door and, shutting it behind me, I found that Killua had stopped and was looking at me curiously. I walked over to him and the two of us continued down the hall.

"You're not going to stay with Gon?" he asked me after a moment of silence.

I shook my head, letting out another yawn which I covered with my hand. "No, I was serious when I said I'm tired. All I want to do right now is sleep," I replied.

"Ah," the boy let out.

We walked in complete silence which, surprisingly, I found nice. I hummed softly to myself, enjoying the peace that surrounded us. With how loud my house could get with my baby brother, I was happy with the silence.

"What are you humming?" Killua asked, turning to look at me curiously.

I halted abruptly, my breath hitching in my throat and eyes going wide. I opened my mouth to say something, only to look like a fish as it opened and closed continuously. _Oh gosh this is embarrassing, _I thought with a blush.

"A-a song," I croaked out.

He rolled his eyes at my antics; "I meant what's the name of the song."

"Oh..." I smiled sheepishly and ducked my head. _This is so embarrassing, _I thought once more.

He sighed when he saw I wouldn't be saying anything anytime soon and turned, walking once more. "Nevermind, it doesn't matter."

I deflated physically, despite it being my fault. Moving to walk beside him, I turned to look at the wall to my right, away from him. I blinked when I saw the hallway split up ahead and frowned when I looked further up and saw the two men that Killua was going to kill. I winced, remembering the scene. I turned to Killua and opened my mouth to tell him I was going to meet him in the room wheree all the applicants slept, only to choke on my saliva and blush when I saw that he had taking off his turtleneck.

"K-k-k-k-k," I couldn't even say his name with how hard I was stuttering.

He stopped and turned to me, blinking in confusion. My blush intensified when I realized how stupid I must look right now, blushing and gawking (kinda) at him. Shutting my eyes, I quickly said, "I-I-I f-forgot to do something! I-I'm gonna meet you there!"

With that said, I turned swiftly and ran down the other hallway, leaving behind a stupefied Killua.

_Oh god is that embarrassing! I mean I've seen him without a shirt on in the anime but... but... _I turned corner, my feet hitting the ground hard and making loud tapping noises. _That was just so sudden. I mean, I know that he was going to kill those two whilst not wearing a shirt, but I forgot! That was just unexpected to turn and suddenly see him without one!_

I came to a halt next to one of the two doors which lead to the applicants' sleeping quarters. Hunched over, I panted as my hands gripped my knees tightly. The sweat dripped from my face after the run I took but I ignored it in favor of catching my breath.

After a few long moments I stood and wiped my forehead of the sweat. I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. I went over to the closest door to me and opened it a crack, peeking inside. I blinked when I saw Leorio and Kurapika sleeping by the wall across from me and opened the door wider. _So this is where Leorio and Kurapika were sleeping at, _I thought.

I leaned into the room and looked around, surprised at how packed the room was. I couldn't find one spot to lay on, not even sit on! I wonder where I was going to sleep if the room was this packed. I shut the door and sighed.

I walked over to the other door a few meters away from the one I was at and opened it slightly, peering inside. I frowned when I saw that it was filled as well. _Where am I supposed to sleep now? _I wondered.

"Hey, Hiei!"

I leaned back and looked over the door to see Killua walking my way, a hand raised up to wave at me. I smiled at the sight of him (and with his shirt on and his hands non-bloody!) and waved back. "Hey!" I greeted and proceeded to him, shutting the door behind me.

The two of us smiled at each other up as we stopped.

"So what's going on?" Killua asked.

I frowned and turned to the door I was at, remembering how full it was. "I can't find a place to sleep. Both the rooms are packed with applicants," I told him.

"Huh..." he said.

"So what are we gonna do?" I asked curiously.

He shrugged, hands in his pockets as usual. "We can sleep out here, I guess," he suggested.

I blinked; "Here?"

"Yeah, why not?" he replied. "We could take one of the benches or just sleep at the wall."

I frowned thoughtfully, looking at the ground as I pondered on his words. After a moment I shrugged, deciding it was okay. It wasn't like we could sleep anywhere else, really. Why not? "Okay, sure. So do we take the wall or the bench?"

"I'm fine with either, though I think leaning on the wall would be more comfy," he stated. "The bench's small, so you're probably gonna fall off of it."

I nodded, ignoring his teasing words. "Alright, I'm fine with that."

The two of us walked over to the wall and sat down, leaning our backs on the hard surface. I took off my backpack and opened it, shoving my hand inside the big pocket and rummaging through it. My face brightened when my hand brushed against a familiar object and I pulled it out, along with my white headphones. I grinned when I saw my iPhone.

_I really did have it! _I thought with glee.

Killua peered over my shoulder curiously and smiled. "Hey, isn't that a phone? Cool!" he said.

"Thanks," I told him.

"So, do you have any games or music on it?" he inquired, looking surprisingly excited.

I nodded my head as I pressed the on button and watched the screen light up. I unlocked the phone, making sure that Killua didn't see my password, and pressed the music icon. Plugging in my headphones, I offered one to him while the other I put in my left ear. I gave him my phone and he looked through all the songs I had on it.

"Wow, you have a lot of songs. Cool," he said.

My smile grew at the compliment.

"Hmm... Let's see," the boy muttered.

I watched as he scrolled down the list of songs I had on and clicked a random one. The song 'Strut' by Adam Lambert came on and I couldn't help but tap my foot to the beat.

"Hey, not too bad," he said.

"Yeah, right? Though listening to this, I'm reminded of someone," I muttered, remembering one of the amvs I watched with Hisoka in it.

"Really, who?" he questioned.

"Hisoka," I replied.

.

.

.

"Gah! Hisoka?" he repeated, looking a little green.

I couldn't help it, I laughed. The face he made was so hilarious! If only I had gotten it on camera, that would have just been awesome.

"Gee, now that I listen to it, I think you're right," he muttered, shuddering.

I almost felt sorry for him. Almost. I was too busy laughing to pity him.

"I'm changing it!" He didn't even wait for my reply, quickly pressing the next button and letting another song come on.

It was at that moment, when the next song came on, that I realized the big mistake of letting him listen to my songs. I shrieked when his character song came on, the one from the 2011 version, and I quickly snatched the phone away from him, pressing the next button hurriedly and praying that none of the other character songs came on. I sighed in relief when the new song wasn't one that one of the Hunter x Hunter cast sang.

"Hey! What was that for?" Killua questioned indignantly.

I laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of my head. "Nothing, nothing! I just didn't think you'd like the song, that's all!" I quickly supplied.

"Liar!" he remarked, narrowing his eyes at me.

I only gave another nervous laugh.

_I'm gonna have to be careful from now on. That was close, _I thought.

"Can I have the phone back now?" he asked, stretching his hand out for my phone.

I looked in uncertainty at it. Should I give him my phone? I wasn't sure. What if another one of their character songs come on?

Killua wiggled his fingers impatiently at me.

I sighed, deciding. "Promise you won't listen to anything I don't want you to?"

He raised an eyebrow at my question.

"Promise me? I won't give you the phone if you don't."

"Fine," he conceded.

I held the phone out to him and watched as he snatched it. He continued playing around with the phone and I just watched him over his shoulder, making sure he doesn't do anything I don't want him to. After a while the boy gave up looking through the songs and instead went to check out the few games I had on my phone.

While he played I sat silently beside him, closing my eyes finally when I saw him playing and tapping my foot to the beat of the current song on. Time flew by rather quickly and soon I was finding it hard to keep awake.

Killua shook my shoulder, making me jerk up.

"Huh?" I questioned, rubbing my eyes.

"You sleeping?" he asked.

I blinked at him stupidly. _That's what he wanted to know? _"No, but I'm going to," I answered.

He didn't say anything else. Seeing this, I relaxed back against the wall and allowed my eyes to shut, letting out a soft sigh. _So tired... _I muttered inwardly.

I felt another shake on my shoulder. Peeking an eye open, I saw Killua staring intently at me. "What is it?" I asked him tiredly.

"Here," he said.

I looked down at his hand to see that he was holding my phone out to me. A look of confusion crossed my face as I took it back. "You're not gonna use it anymore?" I asked him.

"Nah. I'm gonna sleep now," he told me.

I stared at him for a moment, to see if he was serious or not, before shrugging and turning to look down at my phone. I pressed the music icon and went to one of the few playlists I had. I was about to press the shuffle button but stopped when a thought crossed my mind. I turned back to Killua; "Hey Killua, you still gonna listen to music with me?"

He shrugged. "Sure, I guess," he replied.

I nodded and looked back down at my phone. Pressing the shuffle button, I let out a breath as a random song came on. Since Killua was going to listen with me, I made sure to play the playlist that didn't have any of his or the other Hunter x Hunter characters' character songs on it. It wouldn't do good if he found I had a song on here which he or the others were singing. I'm sure he'd think of me as weird.

Pocketing my phone carefully so that I don't accidentally pull the headphones out of our ears, I shifted into a more comfortable position and crossed my arms over my chest, closing my eyes as I willed myself to fall asleep.

Beside me I heard Killua shift before something was pressed onto my thighs. I started, my eyes shooting open in surprise and confusion. Looking down at my lap, I couldn't help but gasp when I saw Killua's sapphire blue eyes staring back at me.

"K-Killua?" I squeaked out.

He grinned at me. "Hey, you don't mind if I use you as a pillow, right?"

I let out a strangled cry. "I-I uh... what?"

"Come on~ The wall's uncomfortable. Please?" he asked.

I nodded dumbly, a blush spreading across my face. "S-sure," I said after a moment.

He gave a cheeky laugh; "Thanks. You're the best!"

I nodded once more, not trusting my voice enough to say anything.

The boy's grin lessened into a smile and he shut his eyes. I blinked down at him, willing my blush to subside. I couldn't help the small smile that crept onto my face as I stared down at him. _Like my little brother, _I thought.

At the thought of my little brother I winced, feeling the hurtful jab in my heart. _I miss him. Him and grandma, _I thought.

I sighed at my thoughts, quickly pushing them to the back of my head. I shouldn't be thinking about this. I shouldn't even be getting homesick right here. I didn't understand why I was, when I was dreaming. I'd meet them soon, right? Right after I wake up, right? And when I do, I'll make sure to give both of them a big hug. But for now, I shouldn't be thinking about them.

_I'll see them again soon, _I thought.

With that, I closed my eyes and allowed the darkness to take me. I never noticed the curious looks that Killua sent me.

* * *

_Phew, man is this chapter long. Longer than my other chapters, that is. :D_

_So what did you guys think of this chapter? Did you like it? How about the little moment between Killua and my OC?_

_Well before I go, I'd like to give special thanks to wiwi (guest), MadokaMagica1998 and MademoiselleCreatrix for reviewing the last chapter. You have no idea how happy that made me! :D And another thanks to those who followed/favorite this story. I really appreciate it!_

_Please review and tell me of what you thought of this chapter!_


	5. An Unexpected Fall

The sun was merciless as it slapped its rays of glorious light onto my eyes. I stirred, giving a soft moan as I awoke from my dreamless slumber. My eyes fluttered open and I winced at the bright light, covering my burning eyes from the harsh sun. Rubbing my eyes gently, I slowly opened them and blinked a few times, allowing them time to adjust.

The first thing my green orbs landed upon was the white wall across from me, holding many glass windows. The next was the orange tainted sky I could see out of the windows. I looked around, confused as to where I was. This definitely wasn't my room.

"Stop moving," came the all-too-familiar and annoyed voice from beside me.

I tensed, recognizing the voice as Killua's. My eyes, wide from being startled, trailed down to look at where the voice came from. I gasped upon seeing the silverette resting his head on my thighs, an arm over his eyes in what I presumed was an act of defense against the sun. I was shocked.

_Killua? What's he...? _I couldn't finish my thought as the memories from the day previous slapped me hard in the face, leaving me frozen in my spot. Waking up in the tunnel, jumping Killua, meeting Gon and the others, the marathon, the cooking, the jumping, it all came back to me. I remembered it all. All that I knew was a dream. All of it. And the memories both scared me and excited me.

_I'm still here, in the Hunter x Hunter verse. But why? I thought that... after I fall "asleep", that I would wake up in my room. So why am I here? _I didn't understand it. Surely by now I'd awaken from this dream? A whole day I've spent here, so shouldn't I have awoken by now? I've never had a dream this long before. I was confused!

I felt a swift and rather painful jab to my stomach, courtesy of Killua, and I gave a moan in pain. I pulled my legs to myself and clutched my stomach, feeling Killua's soft silver locks and pointy nose press against my forearms. He gave another groan in aggravation, but I was too busy clutching my stomach in pain to pay him any attention.

"Wh-why'd you hit me?" I questioned.

I allowed my legs to touch the floor once more, much to the delight of Killua, and rubbed one hand on my abdomen, while I pouted at the boy on my lap.

"Why do you think? I'm trying to sleep and you're bothering me," he complained.

I puffed out my cheeks and looked away. Well excuse me for being confused! Besides, he was the one who jabbed my stomach and had me force his face into my forearms. I was innocent.

"Sorry," I apologized nonetheless.

He just gave a hum, in what I wasn't sure. Though it did sound slightly like annoyance. Or was it understanding? I didn't know. He was hard for me to read without the help of the anime or Togashi.

With my stomach now okay I leaned my back once more against the wall and rested my hands on the floor. I gave a tired sigh, wanting so badly to go back to sleep but I knew that I wouldn't be able to. Stupid sun for waking me up so early in the morning, especially since I didn't get to sleep until late last night. I still hadn't had a shower either, which made me wonder how Killua could stand my stench.

_I'm surprised he's not gagging, _I thought.

Then again, he smelled just as badly as I did. Okay, not _exactly _as badly, but it was dang close! I sighed, feeling self-pity for myself. _I can only wonder how Killua can stand being so close to me._

In my boredom, I drew invisible figures on the hard floor. The dust and dried mud glued to my fingertips as I touched the floor, though I didn't really care at this point. I was already dirty and stinky, what's more dirty going to do? Once I grew bored of that, I decided to count the seconds in my head. _1... 3... 12... 21... 52... 1 minute 15 seconds... 3 minutes 29 seconds... 5 minutes 9 seco- Ugh, what the heck's wrong with me?_

I looked down at Killua's face; soft, pale, even fragile-looking. I lightly poked his cheek, despite the chance that he was still awake, and was surprised at how soft and smooth and _squishy _it was. _He's got even softer cheeks than I do! _I exclaimed in my head.

I pouted; that was so not right. How could a guy - an _assassin _who killed and hurt so many, as well as sustained close to equal damage himself - have skin as smooth as a baby's? I so had to find out what kind of body wash he used, and lotion as well if he did.

I poked his cheek once more, enjoying the feel of his smooth skin on my fingertip. I did it again. And then again. And again. Again. Again. Again. Again-

"Stop that," he demanded, swatting my hand away.

"Sorry," I apologized, blushing sheepishly.

He huffed and fell silent once more.

Again I felt bored, but I didn't know what to do. I didn't want to count the seconds that ticked by anymore, that only increased my boredom, and I didn't want to draw shapes on the floor. I grinned at the idea that popped into my head. Killua said not to poke him anymore, he never said I couldn't play with his hair! And so I brushed my fingers through his silver locks.

_Dang it, even his hair is soft too! _I thought.

It was like touching a cloud. Soft, smooth tresses that easily passed through your fingers. Surprisingly, his hair wasn't as tangled as I thought it'd be after sleeping. In fact, the ones on the top barely had any tangles. I was jealous.

"What are you doing?" Killua questioned.

I stopped, startled.

"You stopped," he stated.

He almost sounded disappointed. That was impossible though, so I dismissed it.

"Yeah, sorry. I didn't know you were awake," I apologized.

It was quiet once more.

I took out my phone and turned it on, delighted to see that it hadn't died yet. Unlocking my phone and pressing the music icon, I went to a playlist that contained only English songs. I clicked on the random buttoned and allowed the song play, drumming my fingers on the ground to the beat.

"Hey, Hiei?" Killua spoke through the music.

"Hmm?" I asked.

His eyes fluttered open and he looked at me with curiosity. "It's about breakfast time, right?"

I nodded.

"Wanna go get some?"

"I-" my stomach growled loudly, interrupting me. I flushed in embarrassment and just opted to nod my head.

"Then shall we go?" he asked me with a smirk.

I nodded dumbly.

* * *

The two of us were swift to eat our breakfast. When we finished we decided to explore the airship some more, and if we could, find Gon. We were interrupted from our exploring by the megaphone going off, the person speaking through it telling us that we would be landing soon.

The news made me nervous, for the Third Phase would be Trick Tower. Which meant that there would be killing and fighting, of course.

I was not looking forward to it.

We soon got off the airship, meeting up with Gon and the other two on the way out. I shuddered as soon as my feet touched the hard stone floor, my arms moving to wrap around me in a tight hug. Looking around the top of the tower I couldn't help but feel even a little fear.

_I can't even see any land in the distance, _I thought.

While I couldn't see any land from my position, I could see big and ugly flying red creatures in the distance, however. I didn't even have to think about it to know what those were. I shrank in on myself, feeling a little nauseous as I remembered what would happen to a specific rock climber applicant very soon.

"I got a bad feeling about this," I muttered to myself.

Beans began explaining where we were and the objective of this phase. He also explained the rules, though I wasn't paying to much attention to him, too busy trying to get my mind off of where I was and what was going to happen next. Soon the green-headed little man, or whatever he was, was finished and he left in the airship, leaving us applicants to ourselves.

The four males walked off to get a glimpse of the bottom of the tower. I of course didn't follow. There was no way I was going to look down, no way! I was scared of heights, looking at how far up I was from the ground would only scare the crud out of me. I wasn't going to put myself through that. It was bad thinking of how high I was, I didn't need any verification.

"I'm gonna go see if I can find some clues on how to get down," I told the group, getting nods back in reply.

Going off on my own, I looked around the rather large surface. _10... 12... 17... 24... 31... 39... _I hummed, noticing that the number of applicants were beginning to drop. I couldn't see Hisoka on top of the tower, so it likely meant that he had already found a hidden door.

I came to halt and looked back to where my four new friends stood, still looking over the edge. _I wonder if I should go with them or try and take a different path...? _For some reason, I got a feeling that I shouldn't be going with them. It confused me as to why, but then I remembered what the next phase was going to be and who Kurapika's target was for it.

_That's right, Tonpa's supposed to be Kurapika's target. If I go with them and fill the fifth spot, then there's a high chance that Tonpa's not going to pass this phase. He did say that this is about where he'd usually give up, _I reminded myself.

Plus, there was a high chance that I'd become Kurapika's target if I was still asleep during that time.

I pouted, disappointed that I couldn't go with them. They were for of my favorite characters ever in Hunter x Hunter, so of course I was a little sad that I couldn't go with them.

_Maybe I can push myself in with Tonpa? _I wondered.

A smile spread across my face at the brilliant idea. Yes, that's what I could do. I'll just jump in with Tonpa, then I could be with them longer. And this meant that I could also pass with them!

_With this, I can stay with the-_

"Aaaah!" I screamed, feeling the floor vanish before my feet.

**_Thump!_**

The hard stone floor was unforgiving as my bum fell onto it. I gave a moan of pain, shifting positions so that I was instead on my knees and I rubbed a hand to where it burned and ached. My eyes, which were shut tight, fluttered open and I blinked rapidly when I only saw darkness.

"What happened? Where am I?"

I sneezed, the musty air tickling my nose and I rubbed it with the back of my hand. At that moment the lights flickered open, revealing a brick room colored a gloomy gray. The room was bare, the only objects in it a stand pressed to the wall in front of me and a large sign written in a language I did not know. My hand brushed against the ground, the accumulated dust on it gluing to my palm. Looking around the room I cringed upon spotting a spiderweb at one of the top corners that connected two walls and a ceiling.

"This looks like the room Gon and the three fell into," I noted.

I stood, patting my pants of the dust that stuck on them. Looking to the sign ahead of me, I walked over and squinted, trying hard to read it. I couldn't, obviously, and I was left to stare at the podium, which contained a watch identical to the one Gon and the others wore in this stage.

"Huh," I let out, picking up the watched.

I examined it, tilting in left and right, and up and down until I was satisfied. Securing it on my wrist, I looked around the room once more, hoping to find any clues on what I had to do.

**"Welcome!"**

I screamed, startled, and jumped. My heart banged loudly against my rib cage and I held my sweater tightly, gasping as I tried to catch my breath.

**"My name is Lippo. I am the prison warden here, as well as the Third Phase examiner."**

I shivered at the word 'prison'.

**"Multiple routes through this tower have been prepared. You have chosen the path of choices. You'll require instincts, luck and good judgement to clear this phase of the exam. If you don't have any of these, the path and choices ahead of you will prove to be hard - impossible even."**

I gulped, feeling my nerves skyrocket at this information. Oh why couldn't I have ended up with Gon, Killua, Kurapika and Leorio?

He continued, **"You're first choice will begin now." **At his words the sign, along with part of the wall it was attached to flipped, revealing another sign. **"Choose X if you wish to continue, O if you wish to stay."**

Somehow I got the feeling I would regret choosing X, but I knew that I had to continue if I wanted to pass this test. I looked down at my watch and nervously pressed the X button.

I expected a door to appear beside the podium like in Gon's and the others' room, but noooo. Instead, the floor beneath me vanished, much like when I first dropped into the room, and I fell into the dark whole, screaming bloody-murder.

"DAMN YOU TOGASHI!"

My legs were the first to hit something smooth, yet hard, followed by my butt. My body slid down what could only be described as a slide in rapid speed. I was but a mere blur, a bullet that wheezed by to its intended target. Soon my screams turned into giddy laughter and I held up my hands in glee, a huge smile on my face.

Unfortunately the ride didn't last long and I found myself skidding on smooth glass. I spun a few times before finally coming to a spot, my head bobbing back and forth as dizziness set in. I held my head and awaited for it to pass, before giving a sigh.

I stood up and looked around the room. This one was dim-lidded, with glass surrounding all sides of me. The slide I came from was blocked off by another window of glass and three doors stood in my path, one on each wall. There was also another sign ahead of me, but again I couldn't read the writing on it.

Despite the walls being glass, I could not make out anything on the other side. I blinked, looking both confused and enthralled by the room I landed in.

I looked away and walked over to the sign, looking at it with curiosity. I couldn't read it, as it was in another language - a language Togashi-sensei made up I presumed - so I had no idea what it said. That only made me apprehensive.

I looked around the room, once more hoping to find some clue. I found a small speaker in the top corner of the room where three of the glass walls joined and my face brightened. Lippo should be able to see me. Maybe I could ask him for help? Probably not, but it was worth a try.

"Umm... Mister Lippo?" I became hesitantly. Pointing to the sign, I continued, "I, uh... I can't read what it says. Could you maybe help me?"

It was silent for a long, long moment.

Somehow I got the feeling that he was laughing at me.

**"No," **was his all-too kind reply.

I physically deflated. "B-b-but how am I supposed to continue? If this was in my language than maybe I could read it. But I don't know this language!"

Another long, tense silence.

I sighed, knowing that it was no use. He wouldn't help me, it was obvious. He was a proctor and I was an applicant. He was here... there to examine me, not help me.

That sucked.

That's when I remembered my phone.

Then I sighed dejectedly again. _There's no way that it can translate the saying for me. It's from my world, not from here, _I thought.

Though...

In the end I just shrugged and got out my phone. It was worth a try, right? Besides, I was dreaming. Usually dreams, especially good dreams, helped me when I was in trouble. So it would help now, right?

Right?

I turned on the phone and unlocked it. Going to the translate icon - thank god I installed it - I looked through the languages I could translate from and to. And surprise surprise! I found writing that looked identical to the one on the sign. I did a mental happy dance, inwardly crying for my good luck.

Now then, how do I translate what's on the board with my phone?

I hummed thoughtfully, a hand gripping my chin as I took on a thinking pose. Looking back at my phone, I decided to click a couple of random things. Hey, I've got to come up with something useful sooner or later, right? When a keyboard popped up on my phone for the language I was trying to figure out I almost screamed in glee. I refrained, however, not wanting to embarrass myself as I knew that Lippo was watching.

_Stalker~ _I couldn't help but think, cracking a smile.

I wrote down what it said on the board as quickly as I could - which was pretty darn slow if you asked me - and waited for my translator to translate the saying.

**_"To continue forward, press X. To stay, press O. If X is the choice, a game will have to be played to choose which door to go through."_**

_A game? _I wondered. Huh. Well that should be interesting, shouldn't it?

I pressed X, obviously, and waited for whatever was to come. A second later the sign disappeared, the part of the wall it was attached to flipping back and revealing a new one, this one with writing in the same language as the last.

I typed in the message.

_**"There are two possible answers. To decide on a door, one must acquire a certain amount of points. If one is to fail answering a question in the time limit provided for each question, they will be disqualified and will have to remain in this room until the end of the Third Phase. To begin the game, press X. To stop, press O."**_

I frowned, feeling nervous of the questions that I would have to be answer. And there was a time limit? How was I suppose to type the question in my translator and then answer it in the time I had? How much time did I even have? I wasn't sure whether I could do this.

I gulped, forcing myself to press the X button despite feeling anxious. A glass screen appeared over the sign, hiding it from my view. On the glass popped up a white projection with words at the top and an X and an O in the middle. To the side of it, in the bottom corner appeared a small red box with the number fifteen boldly in white.

And it was counting down.

I panicked.

I quickly tried to write down the question on the projection, but found that I couldn't.

There was five seconds left.

Four...

Three...

Two...

I hastily pressed the X button, praying that I got it right.

The next question popped up. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to type the question down in time I decided to chance it, hoping that my luck was good enough to help me through this.

There were thirty questions in all. Once I was done my score appeared, along with the door that I had gotten. I had gotten thirteen right out of thirty, which according to my phone meant I scored 43%. That wasn't too bad. Not a passing mark but it was rather good for someone who was guessing on every question. Now hopefully that also meant that the path I got wasn't that bad either.

I went through the door to my right.

* * *

According to my watch almost a full day had passed since I started. I was tired - no, I was exhausted! I hadn't had much sleep last night, and apparently I wasn't going to get any today either. I still stunk, more so now than before and I desperately wanted both a bath and sleep. No, screw the bath, sleep was all that I cared for at the moment. The bath could wait for later.

I stopped for what felt like the hundredth time this past hour to yawn and stretch my aching and tired muscles. All throughout the day I was forced to make choices after choices. No wonder this path was called the path of choices, I had to make tons of them!

Once more I wished that I had been able to go with Gon and the others as I continued on. I'm sure that with them I wouldn't be so bored or tired or dirty or sleepy or... Well, you get it.

I stopped upon sighting a dead end and groaned when I spotted another sign and two doors. I couldn't read it, of course, and I had no means of finding out what was written on the sign. My phone had died long ago and I had been forced to make decisions blindly.

I pressed the O button and watched as part of the wall to my right lifted to reveal an entrance way. Without much thought I continued on.

Once more I came to a spot not too long after. This time it wasn't by another door or a sign. No, this time it was because in my path stood a figure two times my size wearing ragged gray clothes and metal shackles that held their hands together.

**"His name is Neil. To pass this test you must defeat him in a battle. Until one has admitted defeat or is unable to battle will the match end," **echoed Lippo's voice in the large room.

"You finally made it," came a husky voice from the prisoner.

I gulped, suddenly feeling wide awake.

The prisoner's shackles unlocked and dropped to the floor with a loud _clank! _I stepped back, frightened, and wondered whether it was too late to turn around and run. I couldn't possibly fight a prisoner, let alone any man!

The man took off the gray cloak that hid his face from my view, revealing a tan and muscular face with many scars littering it. He smirked, rubbing his right wrist with his other hand. "You know, I was beginning to wonder if you'd ever show up. Kinda thought you had given up," he said.

I took a step back, hearing my heart beating rapidly in my ears.

"Gotta say, I'm a little disappointed that it's only a little girl. I was hoping for a more worthy opponent," he continued, taking a step forward.

I took another step back.

"But you know, I think it's alright. Better than a little boy," he muttered, licking his lips.

I shuddered. My shaking legs finally buckled under me, forcing me down on my butt. I trembled, knowing exactly what he meant by his words though I wished I didn't. Tears gathered within my eyes and I had to force myself not to scream in fright.

No no no no no no! I didn't want to be here! I wanted out! Why can't I wake up? I have to wake up. I don't want to fight. I don't want to see him. I don't want anything to do with this!

"No! Stay back!" I demanded, shutting my eyes and clenching my fists.

The tears fell, dropping with a silent _pat! _onto my lap.

He proceeded.

"What's wrong, princess? Giving up?" his words were said slowly, sweetly. I could hear the lust them, and it sickened me to my stomach.

I didn't reply. No, I couldn't reply. My breath hitched in my mouth, a lump formed in my throat. My body shook in harder, the tears only increasing in volume. I didn't want to be here! I wanted to get out of here! But I couldn't. My body was glued to the floor, my mind no longer having any control of it. I panicked.

_Move move move move move! Move you stupid body! I have to get out of here! _I screamed in my head.

His footsteps were getting loudly, his body closer. He was only a meter away now, and I couldn't do anything still. His smirk widened, his hand outstretched. My eyes opened wide, staring at his hand with kept getting closer closer closer! I shivered once more, already feeling his touch on my body despite his hand being still away from me.

"You're scared shitless yet you're not giving up? Not sure whether you're just acting brave or can't speak," he said.

My hand finally moved. It slid back before stopping; I mentally cursed when it froze once more. _Move move move move move move!_

His hand was only a foot away from me.

My other hand slid back, but it stopped short like the first. _Move, please! I don't want this. I wanna get out of here! I gotta get out of here! Move!_

He knelt in front of me, his hand touched the top of my head before sliding down to my black bangs, where he proceeded to tease them before his hand moved to my cheek, rubbing it in what he most likely thought was affectionate.

"Don't worry," he began softly, sickeningly.

I shrank back further, shutting my eyes.

"It won't hurt that much."

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I screamed. Screamed as loud as I could. Screamed until my voice hurt and then more. The tears only continued to fall, coming down in rivers. I was scared. So so so scared. Why couldn't I wake up? I wanted to get out of here! I just wanted to be with grandma again! To hug my little brother once more! I...

I just wanted to leave.

His wrapped around my mouth in a tight and painful hold, muffling my screams. My body reacted on its on, my foot kicking up and hitting him in a place no man should be kicked with as much force as my position would allow.

He screamed, letting go of me and instead clutching his crotch in pain.

I hastily stood, my arms helping as much as they could with their shaken state. I made to run away from him, but he grabbed my ankle in a death grip, making me cry out in pain as I was stopped in my tracks.

"Y... you're not getting away," he muttered angrily, his eyes glaring holes into my head.

I shut my eyes tightly and hit his hand away with my other foot. It worked and his hold on me left. He was clutching his hand now and I took this opportunity. My grandma always told me that if I was ever in a situation like this and if I could, that I should make sure that my opponent has as little a chance to get me again as possible.

So I kicked him in the privates once more.

Hard.

I did it twice, before scurrying back and out of his wreath.

He cried and writhed in pain on the ground, his eyes shut in obvious pain.

I turned to run away, but for some reason my body didn't listen to me. Instead, my legs moved towards him again and, to my utter shock, I kicked him hard in the back of the head. Too busy he was writhing on the ground that he didn't have time to stop my kick.

His body stopped moving, going limp on the ground. He was still breathing, if the rising and falling of his chest was any indication. I knew that I had knocked him out, and this knowledge made me both sick and relieved. Sick because I had actually hurt someone, relieved because he wouldn't be touching me again.

I fell back once more landing on my butt, with my hands on either side of me helping to hold me up. I was panting, sweat running down my face and tears still falling freely from my eyes.

**"Neil is unconscious and therefore unable to battle. The winner is Hiei,"** came Lippo's voice.

A part of the wall behind be disappeared and revealed a hidden door, another sign hung on the door. I slowly turned my head and looked at it.

**"To proceed through the door, press X. To stay, press O."**

I didn't even have to think about it. Scurrying to stand, I pressed the X button and jogged to the door. It opened, revealing a dark corridor, and I left running, wanting nothing more than to get away from that room. The room that held that prison. I ran and ran, making decisions without much of thought, not really caring where I went just as long as I could get away. Far, far away from him.

* * *

I came to a stop, panting and hunched over as I tried to catch my breath. Another sign blocked my way, with two metal doors on each side, with an X and O on painted respectfully. I was in another brick room, this one colored a light tan. It looked similar to the one Gon and the other three would arrive to for their last decision, only that there wasn't any weapons in the room.

**"This will be the last decision made by choices. If you are ready, press X or O,"** Lippo announced.

I pressed X. If this was going to be the last choice I make then that pretty much meant that I was nearing the end. I smiled at the thought of not having to make any more choices, and also at the thought that I would be able to get food. I haven't had an ounce of food since I've gotten here. Water, yes, but not food. They even allowed me to go to the bathroom! But no food.

That sucked.

**"There are two choices. One path is long and difficult. The other path is short and easy, but to go through it you have to answer two questions correctly out of three. Incidentally, the long path requires a minimum of forty-five hours to complete. The short and easy path reaches to the goal in approximately five minutes. Press O for the long and difficult path and X for the short and easy path."**

"I got a question. If I press X and I answer two of the questions wrong, does that mean I'll be disqualified?" I asked.

**"That's correct. If you answer two questions incorrectly, you'll have to remain in the room to your right, which is hidden by a wall. Only getting two questions correct will allow you to pass through the short and easy path."**

I hummed thoughtfully, pressing a hand to my chin as I pondered the choice. Should I risk it and take the short and easy path? Or should I take the long and difficult path? I honestly didn't care whether I passed or not now. I had been here for far too long and all I wanted at this point was some food, a good shower, and then sleep.

Lots and lots of sleep.

If failing meant that I could get it, then I didn't mind. Taking the long path, while it might allow me to pass, was waaaay too long. I don't think I could stand being here, making more decisions anymore. And with the short path, if I do somehow end up winning, then I get to reach the bottom in five minutes and I won't have to do anything else from there.

Yeah, I'm choosing the short path.

The sign flipped to reveal a flat screen tv. I wondered why Lippo or whoever designed this placed designed it this way if it was a prison. If it was to annoy and/or scare the heck out of the prisoners then I didn't have a doubt I would believe it. Who designed a prison this way?

As always, the question on the screen was in the Hunterian - as I dubbed it since I got tired of calling it the Hunter x Hunter language - and I couldn't read a single thing it said. There was also fifteen seconds given to me to answer it. I shrugged, too tired to care anymore. The first two questions I pressed O, the last question I pressed X.

Of course, my results just had to be in Hunterian. The only things I understood was the 2 and then the 3 a word away. I wasn't sure whether it said that I got two out of three right or two out of three wrong. Considering that the door I'd chosen was opening, I safely assumed that I passed.

I left down the path.

* * *

_Another chapter finished! So how did you like this chapter? You know, when I first watched the Trick Tower phase, I always wondered how the applicants didn't just fall into random rooms. I mean, when Gon showed Kurapika and Leorio about one of the hidden doors, he barely had to push to have the tile press down. If that little force pushes the tile, how come the applicants aren't falling down the hidden doors they step on?_

_Anyway, I'd like to give special thanks to Xylra, MademoiselleCreatrix and xOxO Lost Angel OxOx for reviewing the last chapter. You guys made me happy! And thanks to those who favorite/followed this story. I really appreciate it!_

_Please review and tell me what you think of this chapter!_


	6. A Little Talk

_WARNING: Contains spoilers from the Chimera Ant arc._

* * *

As soon as the door opened and I was finally at the bottom of the tower I gave a loud, exhausted sigh. If not for the few heads that turned my way to see who else had arrived, I would have dropped down to the floor on the spot and fallen asleep. Unfortunately, I couldn't do that. The stares were too intimidating for me to do so.

I scowled.

**"Hiei, applicant #112, is the ninth to pass. Total time, thirty hours and fifteen minutes."**

The door behind me slid closed, blocking my way back to the path. Not that I wanted to go back. I gave a stretch, my arms stretching over my head and I heard a satisfying _pop__! _I hummed, feeling my body feeling a little more at ease. I rubbed one shoulder and walked a few steps to my left, letting my body fall to the ground to land on my butt._  
_

I looked around the room to see eight others. There was Hisoka (of course), Gittarackur (a.k.a Illumi), Pokkle, Sniper Lady, Hanzo, Guy-who-would-steal-Hisoka's-and-Gon's-badges-from-Gon-then-later-get-killed-by-Hisoka, and two others that I couldn't remember. My eyes sparkled upon seeing them eat and I searched the room for the food. I found a rather large cart carrying trays of food beside another door in between where Guy-who-would-steal-Hisoka's-and-Gon's-badges-from-Gon-then-later-get-killed-by-Hisoka and Hanzo sat.

I immediately stood and went to the cart, grabbed a tray, then went back to where I was seating before and ate. Once I had finished my food I put the tray back and then went into the world of dreams.

* * *

"Hey, you're name is Hiei, right?"

Green met brown as I looked up and locked eyes with none other than Pokkle. It had been ten hours since I went to sleep and I had gotten up two hours ago to find that more applicants had arrived, all of which I had no clue who were. So I had stayed by myself, not bothering to talk to any of the other applicants. I had thought that I'd be left alone for the rest of the time left, but apparently not.

I blinked, confused, and nodded my head.

He smiled. "Well my name's Pokkle. It's nice to meet you," he said, offering his hand to me.

I looked at it hesitantly, but shook it anyway. I smiled up at him and scooched over, patting the ground beside me. "If you'd like, you can sit down next to me," I told him.

He nodded and sat, giving me his thanks.

"So how are you?" Pokkle asked, trying to strike up a conversation.

"I'm fine," I replied. "How are you?"

"I'm fine."

My finger traced the lines and cracks on the cool stone floor, the dirt on it sticking to my finger like glue as I thought of something else to say. "You came here before me, right? That's amazing. You must be strong," I said, turning to him.

"That is, isn't it? But you came after I did, making you the ninth person to arrive. You must be pretty good yourself," he told me.

I ducked my head, blushing at the compliment. "No, I doubt that. My path wasn't that hard. That, and I was just lucky to make it here," I said.

"I don't know. I had to fight a prisoner on the way down. I'm sure that everyone else had to, too. You defeated your opponent, right? So that makes you pretty strong," he denied.

I shuddered at the mention of prisoner and fight. The memory of the prisoner and what had happened back up where we fought was still fresh in my memory. That was one of the worst things I'd ever had to experience. I was still disgusted with myself with what I did and didn't do. I should have fought back instead of freezing back there, but I shouldn't have fought back with the way I did back there.

That was just cruel.

If my little brother had found out what I'd done, I think he would have avoided me for two straight days. He always hated when people cheated and fought dirty. Kicking a man in the jewels was definitely cheap. There were more ways to take down a man than that, yet that was what I had resorted to. And to make things even worse, I had kicked the man three times there.

_But I had no other choice, _I defended myself. _If I hadn't done that, who knows what he would've done to me._

Okay, so maybe I knew what he was going to do, but I didn't want to think about it. His lust-filled eyes still haunted me now, popping up every time I closed my eyes. He was just disgusting and I could only feel relief that he was in prison and not on the streets. He couldn't hurt me, I had to remind myself.

"Hey, you okay? You don't look too good," Pokkle noted worriedly.

I nodded my head slowly, uncertainly. I had no doubt that I looked awful right now, remembering the prisoner and the fight. Although I'd hate to admit it, it felt nice that someone was worried about me.

I missed my grandma and my brother.

"So why'd you come here?" I asked. I quickly backtracked, realizing how rude that sounded. "I mean, I don't know you and the other applicants are keeping to themselves so..." I trailed off, unsure of how to say it without sounding weird.

He chuckled in amusement, making me blush lightly in embarrassment. "Yeah, the others are keeping to themselves, aren't they? To tell you the truth I came to talk to you because I was bored and there isn't anyone close to my age." He paused. "Well, there's that guy Hanzo but..."

I giggled at the look of disdain on his face. It wasn't hard to tell that he didn't like Hanzo much.

"So what kind of Hunter do you want to be?" Pokkle asked.

I shrugged. "I don't really know," I replied honestly.

Now that I thought about it, what kind of Hunter would I like to become? I mean, while I won't become an actual Hunter, it was still something I'd like to think about. If I were to choose, I doubt I'd ever become a Blacklist Hunter. With what just happened with the prisoner, I doubt I'd be able to fight anyone. I admit, I was a wimp. One with no talents in fighting and would easily surrender to anyone I deemed even a tiny threat.

Hey, don't judge me. There are a lot of other people like me, probably a lot that are even worse then me!

Anyway, while a Blacklist Hunter was out of the picture, there were the Gourmet Hunters. I loved cooking, and my grandpa would love for me to become one if I could. She was a chef, so she made sure to teach me even the basics to cooking. And I gotta say, it's actually pretty fun. So yeah, a Gourmet Hunter wouldn't be so bad to become.

Let's see... there was also Beast Hunters, right? I wasn't sure how good I'd be at that job. I mean, I love animals, I really do. But I'm not sure if I'm great when it comes to taking care of them. I'm able to take care of pet animals, but I wasn't so sure of other animals. And didn't Beast Hunters also had to do research and all that, too? Yeah, I wasn't any good with paperwork or research.

Then there was Archaeological Hunters. If I remembered correctly, they were Hunters who uncovered ruins and all that. That did sound like an interesting job, but I wasn't too sure about it. But wait, wasn't Ging an Archaeological Hunter? Hmm...

Wasn't there also Treasure Hunters? I knew for a fact that Biscuit was a Treasure Hunter. From the name and what I got, didn't they go off searching for treasures and such? Hey, that didn't sound like too bad of a job. I might actually love to do it! I mean, who wouldn't want to go all around the world searching for treasures?

"Hmm... Maybe I'll be a Treasure Hunter or a Gourmet Hunter... I don't really know," I muttered.

"What about you?" I asked him.

I didn't really remember what it was that he wanted to become. He was one of those characters that I thought were cool, yeah. But I never paid too much attention to him as I did to other characters I really liked. Though since he was in NGL or wherever that was, and got killed there while researching some animal, I'm pretty sure he went into the same profession as Knuckle.

Thinking about NGL, that was where the Chimera Ant arc took place and where...

I blanched, thinking about all the blood and death that took place there. And didn't Pokkle get killed in NGL, too? Where Pitou found him and then used him to find out about Nen? Oh god, why did I have to think about it? Now I can't get it out of my mind!

"I'm gonna become a Exotic Game Hunter once I pass the exam," Pokkle said, not noticing my change in demeanor.

"That sounds... cool. I'm sure you'll be great," I told him, trying hard not to let my voice crack.

Oh god, knowing that one of your favorite - or rather, one of your liked character - is going to die and you're sitting right next to him trying hard not to spill about it was really difficult. Or for me it was. I so badly wanted to warn him, but I knew I couldn't. But damn it! It's so hard! Why couldn't I just tell him? While he wasn't my most favorite character, he wasn't that bad. I couldn't just let him die!

_But I can't change anything! Who cares if I'm in a dream, I just can't! _I thought.

"Hey, are you sure you're okay?" Pokkle asked again, actually sounding worried.

I nodded stiffly, trying make it seem like I was alright but I had no doubt that I looked awful. Why couldn't all the good characters live? Not good as in the heroes or heroines, but characters that were likable?

"Sorry, I'm still a little sore and tired," I told him.

He nodded, though there was doubt in his eyes that told me he didn't believe what I was saying. I turned away from him, instead looking down at the stone floor as I couldn't bring myself to meet his eyes anymore. I really wished that it was just some random character that got killed instead of Pokkle. Togashi-sensei just loved hitting us in the feels!

We talked with each other a little more after that. Slowly Pokkle was able to help me forget about my earlier thoughts and kept at bay the thoughts concerning my family. The more we talked, the better I began to feel and dang it, I was starting to like his character more and more.

Soon lunch came and the two of us ate. While eating I noticed that a couple more applicants had arrived. I didn't know any of them, so I just dismissed them. It was after the two of us had eaten that I had gotten some shocking news.

"You... you mean... You were able to take a shower?" I questioned, looking at him with wide and shocked eyes.

"Yeah, that's right. Weren't you also able to take a shower on your way down? I mean, I was able to get food, water, and all that on my way down," Pokkle replied, looking a little confused.

I gasped, a look of pure horror on my face. He was able to get a shower on his way down his path? Even food? I know I got water and a bathroom when I needed to go, but I never got food or a shower. How was that possible?

"I... H-how?" I stuttered out.

"Oh, uh... Weren't you asked if you needed food or anything? Every seven hours the examiner asks you if you need food, water, the bathroom, you know. And once you've been there for twenty hours, they ask you if you need the shower," Pokkle explained.

I gasped once more, my body going stock still as imaginary lightning hit it. Lippo asked everyone about the showers and the food? But that's...! But I was never asked that! Maybe about water and the bathroom, but not food and the shower! That was so unfair! Why wasn't I asked? Surely he hadn't forgotten. So why-

"THAT'S NO FAIR, LIPPO! YOU DIDN'T ASK ME!" I abruptly stood, yelling at the top of my lungs and glared above me.

All heads turned swiftly to me, most if not all looking at me as if I had grown another head or two.

I ignored them of course.

"YOU PROBABLY LEFT IT OUT ON PURPOSE! YOU DID, DIDN'T YOU?!" I continued to yell.

For some reason I got the feeling he was either laughing his butt off at my horror and misery, or staring wide-eyed through his screen at me.

I guessed that it was the former.

"You're laughing at me now, aren't you?" I questioned. "Yeah, laugh at the girl who can't read in Hunterian! Because it's soooooo funny. Of cooourse it is. I mean, eeeveryone here knows how to read, but here this stupid girl doesn't. That's what you're thinking, aren't you! Well soooorry if I don't understand Hunterian! Sorry that I can only read English!"

By now Pokkle was slowly inching away from me, trying to pass off as someone who didn't know me. The others just continued to stare at me with those wide eyes, which whispered of my insanity.

My anger fell when I realized that everyone was staring at me and I blushed profusely. I sat on the floor and inched to the wall until by back was firmly pressed on the cool stone. Pressing my legs to my chest I wrapped my arms around them and buried my head in my knees. "Someone kill me now..."

This was just so embarrassing. It was the Killua scene all over again... Couldn't someone just shoot me and get it over with? Please? I sulked.

* * *

More and more hours passed by. I was still sitting at the spot I had sulked in, the back of my head pressed against the stone wall behind me and I was looking up at the ceiling in thought. Pokkle, who had successfully escaped from me had come back much, much later to talk to me a little more before leaving again, this time for a different reason.

_I wonder how Gon, Killua, Leorio, and Kurapika are doing? I haven't seen them in a while, _I wondered.

Whenever I was alone with myself I'd always find myself thinking either about my family or my four new friends. I'd always try to stay clear of thinking of my family, for it brought depressing thoughts to mind, and instead tried to distract myself. I've already been here for four, maybe five days now and I was wondering if I'd ever wake up from this dream.

Yeah, this dream. I still refused to call it real. I mean, how could this possibly be real? There was no such thing as magic or anything of that sort, so I couldn't possibly have come to this world. I kept telling myself that it was just all a super long and rather detailed dream that I was just having troubles waking up from.

It had to be.

But as the minutes went by, the doubt kept growing and growing in my heart. Was this really a dream? Was I really just sleeping and not actually in the Hunter x Hunter world? Because if it was all real, then how was it possible? What about my family, my friends, my... I shook her head, refusing to think about it. I didn't know, and I didn't think I wanted to know.

So I tried to distract myself.

I looked down at my watch, blinking as I found that there was only ten minutes left until this phase was over. That meant that Gon and the other three should be arriving soon. By now they should be trying to break down that wall with the axes. I smiled as I envisioned them breaking down the wall and sliding to the bottom. Killua, Kurapika and Gon would be the first out the door, looking all dirty and exhausted - even annoyed. Then Leorio and Tonpa would come a few seconds later, fighting each other to get through the door.

And just like I had envisioned, the door opened and in emerged Gon, Kurapika and Killua, all three looking covered in dirt and looked tired. Well, except for Gon, he was all smiles and sunshine. Then again, when was he not?

Then behind them were Tonpa and Leorio, fighting each other to get through the door just like I remembered in the anime. Lippo, of course, announced the five's arrival as well as how much time they had spent. The five began talking to each other and I stood, dusting myself off before heading over to them.

**_"The Third Phase of the exam is over. Twenty-six applicants have passed. One has die,"_ **Lippo announced.

A hidden door opened up to the left of me just as I was a few feet away from the five boys. Since their eyes were trained on the exit, they didn't see me. I smiled and lifted my hand up to wave at them.

"Hey guys! You made it!" I called.

The the five turned when they heard my voice and four of them smiled (Tonpa didn't, of course).

"Hey, you're here!" Gon said with a wide grin.

"When did you arrive?" Killua asked.

"Hmm?" I stopped in front of the two boys and looked each of them over. There were a few scratches and bruises on them, as well as a lot of dirt, but all in all they looked fine. Maybe a little more beaten then what the anime depicted, but still fine. "Oh, I was the ninth down. It took me about thirty hours and fifteen minutes to get here."

The others gawked at me.

"Wow, really? That's amazing!" Gon exclaimed.

"You must've gotten an easy path," Killua said.

I gave a laugh, one that sounded more sheepish than happy, and rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah, it wasn't too hard. I'm sure I would have failed if I had gotten a different path," I agreed.

"Which path did you get?" Killua asked. "We got the Majority Rules."

"I got the Choices," I answered.

"Choices?" Gon and Killua repeated in unison, tilting their heads ever-so-slightly to the side and only adding to their already cuteness.

I nodded. "I pretty much just had to make a lot of choices and that was all. Although I did have to face a prisoner and I had won..."

"Huh, really? I didn't think of you as much of a fighter," Killua remarked.

I gave a nervous laughing and looked away. "Well, uh..." I trailed off. How could I tell them that I only won because I had canned my opponent? In all honesty that was just cowardly. I mean, the four - okay, maybe two as Leorio and Gon didn't really do any fighting - had defeated their opponents in hand-to-hand combat while I had just kicked a guy between his legs three times, knocked him out while he was writhing on the ground, and then called it a victory.

That was no where near an actual fight. I pretty much cheated.

But hey, so what if it was cowardly? It was self-defense! So it was alright, right...? I mean, if I hadn't, then who knows what could have happened to me. So yeah, I didn't do anything wrong!

"Oh, hey. We should get going now! I think I see someone outside," I said, pointing to the door the other applicants were filing out of.

They nodded and the six of use headed out, Gon, Killua and I in the back as we chatted a little more with each other.

Upon stepping outside I grinned full out. The sun beamed down at me, enveloping me in its glorious light and there were a few clouds scattered here and there in the sky. My head snapped to my left when I heard the call of the distant birds which flew in the air, and my eyes met with luscious green plants and trees. Gotta say, after being deprived of the sun for so long, it felt great to be outside basking in it again. I never thought I'd miss the sun so much.

We gathered in a small, untidy circle as Lippo, the proctor for this phase of the exam, began explaining the rules. I ashamedly admit that I tuned him out. I already knew what this phase was about and all the rules to it, so I wasn't too interested in hearing them again.

Instead, I just stared at Lippo, my brows furrowed and lip puckered out slightly as I studied him.

_Wow, Mister Lippo is so much shorter than I thought he'd be. I mean, I know that he's short, but I didn't think he was this short! _I thought.

If I were to estimate, I'd say he was only a few inches taller than me, and I was only about an inch shorter than Killua (and a few inches taller than Gon!). And since Killua was waaaaaay shorter than Leorio, only (apparently) coming a little above the man's waist, which was short. Really short.

_Man does Togashi-sensei like to exaggerate on people's heights. I mean, Killua shouldn't be so much shorter than Leorio. Killua looks like a ten year old kid next to Leorio, and Killua should be turning thirteen in just a couple of months. Add in the fact that Killua's taller than Gon, who's older than Killua, and wow, _I continued in my head.

I was interrupted from my musings when I felt someone tapping my shoulder. I looked to my right to see Gon and Killua staring at me. "What is it?" I asked.

"I think you're up," Gon said.

I blinked and looked around to see that Pokkle and what's-his-face had already gone and that everyone was waiting on the next person to go. I smiled sheepishly, quickly walking to the stand and pulling out a square card from within the box. I flipped it and, not to my surprise, my target's number was sealed off by a thin sheet of sticky paper.

After I had gone it was the next person who went. One by one the applicants went up and got a card, until finally Tonpa, the last person, had gone and it was over. During that time I scanned the small crowd of twenty-six applicants, trying to memorize as many badges and faces as possible.

"Everyone has gotten a card? Then, remove the seal from your card," Lippo instructed.

Everyone removed the seal as instructed and I followed their example. Looking down at my card, I found the number '198' printed in bold. _You know, this is pretty cliche now that I think about it, _I thought.

I mean, in the few fanfictions I've read that featured OCs, practically all of them had this same target as theirs. But maybe that was just because I've only read like, what? Four? I wasn't even able to finish reading those as something always seemed to come up and distract me, and when I was done whatever I was doing, I'd somehow forget about it.

Hmm...

"The card indicates your target," Lippo explained.

I looked up, finally taking my eyes off of my target's number and looked at Lippo. I heard many of the other applicants gasp in shock and some even in fear. From the corner of my eyes I could see them gripping their badges, just as they had in the anime. I didn't do the same as them. No, at the moment I wasn't too bothered with it.

When I got permission though, I'm going to make sure to hide my badge from the others. Somewhere where hopefully they wouldn't look, or even think of looking.

Lippo continued; "This box," he put a hand on the box we had taken the cards out of, "has recorded which card each of you drew. This means that you're free to dispose of the cards if you wish. The objective of this phase is to steal your targets ID tag."

"Oh, so we don't have to kill each other," one of the three brothers said, sounding beyond relieved.

I grimaced, _Oh how wrong you are._

"Naturally, you're free to use any method you wish to steal the ID tags. Including killing your target and taking the tag off the corpse." And Lippo just had to say that, didn't he?

"That sounds like the fastest way," another of the three brothers commented.

I shivered, knowing that they wouldn't hesitate to kill their opponent if it meant that they could pass this phase. Oh this was going to be just horrible, I knew it. Phase Three was bad already, just how awful would this one be? Here you can't just say "I quit" and expect others not to target you. In this phase, it's everyone for themselves. It was a guarantee that at least one person would be targeting you.

Oh yeah, I just couldn't _wait _to start this phase._  
_

_I'm so dead. _I mentally sulked in a random, made up corner.

"Listen carefully!" Lippo told us.

I looked up at him, finally snapped out of my negative thoughts.

"Your target's ID card is worth three points," as he said this he held up three fingers. "Your own ID is worth three points." He curled two of the three fingers up into his palm so that only one stood; "All other ID tags are worth one point. You need six points to advance to the Final Phase. So while on Zevil Island, you must gather enough ID tags to total six points. That is the condition for clearing the Hunter Exam's Fourth Phase."

After all the rules and instructions were said we boarded the rather big boat made our way to Zevil's island. I was sitting closer to the front of the boat by myself, ignoring the orange-haired lady that talked as I stared down on the wooden floor. Before I had boarded inside, I had made sure to hide my tag while no one was looking.

_I wonder what I'm going to do for this phase, _I thought.

Gon was going to go off on his own, so were the others. Then Gon was going to meet up with Leorio and Kurapika and help them, while Killua will continue to stay by himself. Staying with Killua would be the logical thing to do, as his target always traveled with my target and he would easily be able to get all three of the brothers.

But then, would it be alright to go with Killua? I wasn't sure whether he'd want to hang out with me for an entire week. Gon, probably, but I was a girl and I wasn't even in this anime to begin with. Who knows what Killua wanted?

"Hey," came an all-too familiar voice.

I looked up to see Killua walking over to me. I smiled and gave him a small, lazy wave. "Hey."

He stopped and sat beside me, leaning his back against the wall as he held his yellow and red skateboard with his arm.

The two of us sat in long silence. I got a good feeling as to why he was here, but I wasn't too sure. So I stayed quiet, waiting for him to talk first.

"What number did you draw?" Killua asked.

"The number that you didn't draw," I replied smartly.

He looked at me with a small fake glare and I looked back at him, a smile gracing my lips. We stared at each other for a long moment before the two of us burst out laughing.

"If you're worried then you shouldn't be. You're not my target," Killua assured me.

"And you're not mine, either," I told him.

"Wanna show each other our targets at the same time?" Killua asked.

"Sure."

We counted down from three and showed each other our cards. As I expected, Killua's target was #199, one number ahead of mine.

"#198? That's a number before mine," Killua muttered.

I nodded. "Yeah, if I remember correctly, it's one of those three brothers."

"Do you think mine is one of their's as well?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is."

The two of us sat in silence once more.

"Hey," Killua called, gaining my attention. "I went to check on Gon earlier and you wouldn't believe who his target is."

"Who?" I asked, deciding to humor him.

"It's Hisoka."

I faked a shocked look, pretending as if I didn't know that. Since I've watched the anime, I already knew who Gon's target was. Though Killua didn't need to know that. "Hisoka?" I repeated.

"Yeah. And Gon actually looks excited about it," Killua told me.

"Huh..."

"You don't sound too surprised," the silverette noted.

I shrugged. "Well, this is Gon we're talking about. He has both bad luck and is weird."

"I guess you're right," he agreed.

.

.

.

"Hey, Killua?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think I can go with you?"

"What?"

"I mean, my target and your target are brothers, right? And from what I've heard they always stick together. So I was wondering if I could go with you to hunt them down. And if you get into some kind of trouble, I could be there to help you. The same with me. Plus, the more the merrier, right?"

"Hmm... That makes sense. Sure, I don't mind."

"Thanks."

* * *

_Finally, this chapter is over! Oh gosh you have no idea how happy I am about that. Since my laptop got broken by a friend I've been having to use both my phone and my brother's laptop to type this. And let me tell you, writing on a phone is hard, especially when you have to write this much. Luckily I was able to get my brother's laptop. I'm just glad I hadn't started on this chapter before my laptop got broken 'cause then I'd have to start it all over. :/_

_Anyway, I'd like to give special thanks to KieyuuMizuumi for reviewing the last chapter. You have no idea how happy that made me. I'd also like to give thanks to those who favorite/followed this story, it really means a lot to me._

_Oh, and before I got. I've got a question for my fans, which is **IMPORTANT.**_

_For those of you who have heard of me before, you probably noticed that I'm a rather big Naruto fan. I also love Yu Yu Hakusho! I've got this great friend of mine that has this awesome idea for a crossover story between the two featuring Tobi/Obito as the main character and we need some help with writing, etc. it. So if you're interested, give me a PM and I'll send you the details._

_All that we require of a person is good writing skills, knowledge in both animes/mangas, and non-laziness (is that even a word?)._

_That is all I've got to say. I just ask that, besides what I've just written, that you guys leave a review about what you thought of this chapter. I love feedback. :3 _


	7. The Fourth Phase 1

I lightly kicked my feet back and forth, my eyes closed and bobbing my head as I hummed Gon's character. The luscious green leaves that covered my small body shook lightly at the small breeze that passed through the gaps in the crowd of leaves. I opened my eyes, the green irises only a shade lighter than the leaves around me.

It had been almost half an hour now since I've been on the island. When I had first saw Zevil Island, I found it rather attracting. Now that I was actually on the island, going through this experience in my own point of view instead of one of the main four's, it was rather alluring. It almost made me not want to leave it with how warm and peaceful it was here. There were so many cute and fearsome creatures here and the plants were just lovely.

My eyes fluttered open and I gazed up ahead, admittedly afraid of looking down despite not being on the highest branch of the rather average sized tree. My thoughts went to the conversation I had with Killua before I had come to the island.

_"Now Hiei, listen up closely," Killua began, holding up a finger in front of her with his face hard in seriousness, "Once you get off the boat, I want you to walk a thousand steps forward. Then, take a thirty-five degree turn to the right and take another three hundred and fifty steps. If there's a tree at the stop, climb up to the middle of the tree and hide yourself."_

_"C-climb up a tree?" I stuttered out, grimacing at the thought of having to climb up so high. I was by no means a good tree climber. I used to love it, but after a certain incident I couldn't find it in myself to enjoy it as much. It actually scared me a little, though I'd never tell Killua or the other three about it. That would be so embarrassing!_

_Killua nodded. "That's right. Remember, everyone has their own predators after them. You're going to have at least one. Considering your a girl and a kid, you'll most likely have about three. Two at the least: the applicant who picked out your number badge and another who'd rather go after easy prey instead of their own target. That's why I want you to climb a tree. Actually, it doesn't even have to be at the exact spot. If there isn't one, find the closest and climb it. Make sure to hide well and don't let anyone spot you. Got it?"_

_I nodded slowly, hesitantly. I had known that I would be targeted, after all; someone had to have picked my number. But I had only considered one predator, it never crossed my mind that I'd get more than one. I just thought that everyone would be going after their target. It was foolish of me to think that. After all, I knew that Hanzo had gone after three, and Hisoka had done the same since he'd given his badge to Gon. I should have figured._

_Suddenly, climbing up a tree wasn't as unpleasing as I first found it. The tree would probably be the savior of my life._

I had been on this island for over thirty minutes now, Killua should at least be going off the boat now. It took me the majority of the time to get here; counting the steps was hell and since I didn't have a protractor, it was hard to tell where thirty-five degrees to the right was. I think I had gotten it though.

I hoped I had gotten it right.

My only concern now was keeping myself hidden and whether Killua could get here.

_He should be coming here now, _I thought.

I really hoped that he was at least half-way here now. While I rather enjoyed the scenery, the knowledge that someone was hunting me down diminished the want I felt of staying in one place for too long.

As the minutes passed, I could feel myself becoming more and more uneasy. Oh gosh Killua just had to tell me about the whole 'at least two people will be after you' thing, didn't he? I swear everyone just loved scaring the crud out of me!

_Stupid Killua for getting that in my head. Stupid me for letting it get to me. Stupid brain for remembering what Killua said. Why brain? _I pondered. Oh why couldn't I be one of those optimists who always thought of the good instead of the bad? I could really use Gon's positive aura about now!

"Hey Hiei, I'm here!"

My head snapped down to see who called me and the sight of familiar sapphire blue eyes and mob of silver hair, accompanied by blue and lilac clothing made my eyes water in relief in an anime sort of way. A huge grin split my face and oh god I swear I was looking at a god right now. A rather small, smexy, lightning-using (in the future), butt-kicking, ass-whooping, insanely smart and soon-to-be the most caring person in the world god.

My savior~

"Killua!" I called excitedly.

He smirked upon meeting my eyes and held up two fingers in a lazy wave. "Yo!"

That was it. I couldn't hold it anymore. I squealed, sounding much like a crazed fangirl, and I hopped down the branch I was on (I was barely six feet up). My landing was loud, the fallen and aging leaves crunching upon making contact with the bottom of my shoes. I straightened, my eyes once more making contact with his and I swear, there were many _many _yellow sparkles around me.

Now that he was here, standing in front of me with one hand shoved in his pocket and the other still up in the air and holding up two fingers, I only now realized just how much I had missed him. I mean, I was only away from him at most forty minutes, and the only reason I wanted to see him was because I was scared but gosh, I really _did _miss him.

"Killua!" I squealed out.

My arms stretched out in front of me and the fingers reached towards Killua as I jumped at him, intent on giving him a big hug. His smile fell and his eyes widened into saucers. A sound of surprise escaped his lips and he moved to his left, right leg up in the air and arms stretched out on either side of him comically.

"The hell?!"

Suddenly the sparkles around me vanished and my body landed on the ground with a heavy _thud! _I groaned, the sound muffled by the dirt and grass my face was pressed against. My body ached and throbbed and I swear I was going to suffocate if I didn't lift my face and allow myself to breathe, but I stayed in that position, too hurt to do anything.

Killua blinked incredulously, his eyes staring at my fallen body blankly. He walked over to a nearby tree and broke off a long, skinny branch and used it as a stick as he poked my side, watching in amusement as my fingers twitched. "Uh, you okay?"

I lifted my head, allowing him a view of my face caked with dirt and grass. My cheeks were flushed in embarrassment and eyes blank as I nodded rather stupidly. "Uh-huh."

Killua moved to help me up but stopped upon hearing a nearby bush rustle and he tensed his body in case of enemies. A small, fuzzy brown rabbit with adorable black eyes and pointy ears emerged from the bush and made its way to me. Killua burst out laughing when the rabbit jumped on my head, making itself cozy on my black hair.

Mentally I wondered what I had done to deserve such embarrassment. Killua was on the ground laughing himself to tears, a rabbit was resting on my head, and my body still hurt like crazy. This was torture.

Just pure agony.

Why couldn't the ground just swallow me whole?

My face fell back into the small crater it had created on the ground upon my landing, my whole face and neck red in embarrassment. The rabbit, upon sensing my head moving, leaped off of it and scurried off into another bush.

Killua's laughing only increased and he pounded his fist onto the ground while his other hand clutched at his aching stomach.

"That... that was hilarious!" he said in between laughs.

I grumbled into the dirt as I heard Killua gasping - and failing - to get air into his lungs. _I really gotta think things through before doing them. This is so embarrassing! _I thought._  
_

I slowly forced myself up. My hands pushed against the rather soft dirt and grass, helping me into a seating position. I pressed the dirty palm of one hand to my nose, rubbing it gently and hoping that the burning ache would go away. My face was still flushed and Killua wasn't helping it at all.

I swear, he's going to die of laughter if he didn't stop soon. I know I wouldn't mind dying at the moment if it meant I would get out of this humiliating situation.

"A-are you done yet?" I asked, looking over to him.

"Y-yeah I'm-" he paused to laugh again.

I frowned.

He panted as he finally reigned in his laughter. "O...okay I'm done no - Ahahahahaha!"

Or maybe not...

I pouted, looking away from him and really wishing for someone to just come out and shoot me. Anything to end this misery!

He finally calmed and stood, dusting himself off. A few chuckles still made its way to his lips which he involuntarily let out and he walked over to his fallen and forgotten skateboard, which sat on its front on the grass. "Sorry about that. But you gotta admit, that really was hilarious! Especially when that rabbit came out of the bush and used your head as a bed!"

And once more he was laughing.

"I-it's not that funny!" I told him.

I stood and dusted myself off, deciding to ignore the mocking sound coming out of his mouth.

Despite myself though, I couldn't help the small smile that pulled at my lips.

_I got Killua to laugh!_

* * *

For what felt like the hundredth time that day I stopped to catch my breath. We've been walking for a whole day now and I was tired. The sun had long since set and the stars and moon were now out, the only light source we had in the darkened night which, honestly, wasn't much light. I hunched over, resting my hands on my knees as I panted.

"Don't tell me you're tired again?" came Killua's slightly annoyed voice from a few meters ahead of me.

I looked up at him and pouted. "M-maybe we should... should stop for today," I suggested.

I straightened, feeling a little better and pointed up at the view of night sky which was blocked by the many trees surrounding us. "It's night out now, so we should get some rest. We've been walking all day and it won't be good if we're tired when we find our targets," I reasoned.

He frowned at my logic though still nodded in agreement. "Sure, I guess. It would be bad if you're dead tired when we fight. We can use one of the trees to sleep in. Although I can go three days without sleep, you know," he was practically bragging, though I didn't really care too much. I was tired and I wanted to rest, that was all.

I smiled, relieved that I wouldn't have to walk any more for today. I swear, walking will be the death of me!

At that moment my stomach growled and I blushed, rubbing it in a sheepish manner while looking at anything but Killua.

"Hungry?" Killua asked. It was at that moment he remembered; "Well, we didn't have dinner yet, did we?" He paused to think. His eyes roamed over my exhausted form, looking me from head to toe before frowning. He turned and looked over his shoulder: "I'll go get us something to eat, you stay here."

"Wait," I said, stopping him. "You're not getting meat, are you?"

He gave me an incredulous look. "Of course! There's lots of animals around here we could eat. What, do you want something specific?" he asked.

I shook my head, the body part bowed so that my black bangs covered my green eyes from his view. "No, that's... that's not it."

"Then what is it?"

It wasn't a problem earlier since we had eaten only fruits for lunch. We were kinda in a hurry 'cause we wanted to scarce ourselves from where we met up so that we wouldn't get caught. I never thought of this earlier because of that. Now that Killua suggested having meat for dinner, I was reminded of what I was. And uh, yeah...

I pressed my two pointer fingers timidly as I wondered how I would say this. I was vegetarian, after all. I couldn't eat meat. Well, I _didn't want _to eat meat. But I was hesitant to tell him that. "I, uh... I'm a vegetarian so..."

"You're a vegetarian?" Killua repeated, looking at me blankly.

I nodded.

"So that's why you didn't eat that chicken we got from the kitchen," Killua realized.

Another nod from me. I looked up at him and said, "That's right. I'm fine with going out and getting some fruit. If you want to eat meat, then feel free too."

"You sure?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's fine," I told him.

He looked a little hesitant. "Alright, I guess. Just don't go too far, 'kay? If something happens, scream. I'll come help you," he told me.

I smiled, a blush consuming my cheeks at what I hoped was concern I spotted in his voice. "Alright."

I gave him a small wave and turned, running off to where I remembered seeing some berries not too far from here. I didn't stop to see the wave he gave back nor the frown that he wore when he saw me leave.

.

.

.

I ended up cooking our meal as I had found, Killua was horrible, just _horrible _at cooking. Killua had hunted down a rabbit and cleaned and cut it (thankfully, not in front of me), before handing the meat to me to cook when he had accidentally set a part of the rabbit on fire and ended up burning it. After making it we had eaten, with me only eating the fruit that I had found and he the meat and some berries of mine.

During the meal we talked about a lot of things. The Hunter Exam, Gon and the two, and some things about ourselves. I learned quite a lot that I hadn't known before about him, as I never got it from the anime or the manga. It was really nice, I gotta say, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

"Hey, I'm gonna get some sleep now," Killua told me.

I nodded, letting out a yawn which I hid with my hand. "I think I'm gonna do the same. I'm tired," I agreed.

The two of us stood and I dusted myself off of the dirt while Killua put out the fire we had created to cook the meat with and keep us warm. The two of us headed off to a small cave Killua had found when he was out hunting.

The walk was spent in silence and when we arrived a few minutes later I had taken out my (thankfully) charged phone and turned it on, using the light from the screen as a flashlight. We walked deep into the cave and sat at either side of it, my phone was still on as to give the cave some light for us to use and see in.

I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them, my eyes half-lidded as I stared at the ground under me. I heard Killua shift and briefly glanced his way to see he had gotten into a similar position as myself. I yawned once more, feeling myself beginning to succumb to sleep.

I had to admit, I was feeling rather lonely. I mean, I had Killua here with me and I enjoyed his presence, but I couldn't quite shake off the feeling of longing for my family. I haven't seen them for a week now and I missed them a lot. I smiled sadly, remembering my cute little brother who'd take up any chance he could get to cuddle up to me. He was such a cuddler and despite denying it, he always enjoyed when the two of us slept together. I wasn't exactly sure why, but I could guess that it reminded him of the times he'd sleep together with mom and dad.

Then there was grandma. I really missed her cooking. She was a wonderful chef who would teach me whenever she got the opportunity. She always told me that it was important to know how to cook and that when I get married, it would be my job to cook for my family. She was always kind to me and, if I were to be truthful, she did like spoiling me and my brother.

My smile softened and I closed my eyes, recalling all the times she'd buy us treats and make us our favorites. I really missed her. Her and my brother.

_I wonder when I'm going to be able to see them again? _I pondered.

After a few more minutes of silence I decided head to sleep. I was tired and sure that tomorrow was going to be another long day of walking. I needed to rest for that. Plus, thinking about the family I hadn't seen in days was quickly making me depressed, and I really wanted to avoid that.

So I headed off to dreamworld.

* * *

**Day 2**

"Killua~" I whined, waving a hand to him as I dragged myself behind him, "Can't we stop?"

The said boy grumbled and looked over his shoulder at me. "Already? We've only been walking for a few hours."

I gave another low whine and dropped to my knees, the palms of my hands hitting the soft green grass. I panted, inwardly wondering what I did to deserve this. Yesterday we walked for the whole day and today it seemed like we would be walking for a whole day. Why? Ugh... I swear, walking really will be the death of me!

"Come on Killua, I'm tired! We walked the whole day yesterday and now we're doing it again today. Can't we take a break?" I practically begged.

Killua stopped and gave an annoyed sigh, no doubt exasperated with me. He turned so he fully faced me and placed a hand on each hip. "Gee, you're such a girl! Stop whining or I'll leave you behind," he said with a huff.

I groaned and flopped to the ground. No way, I was beat. "Just another few minutes?" I pleaded.

Why couldn't he just take pity on poor, tired soul?

"Alright, fine," he said.

A smile made its way to my lips as I let out a sigh in relief.

"But if we get attacked, I'm not saving your butt. You're fighting them yourself."

And the relief was gone.

Oh god I was in hell!

.

.

.

"Hey Killua~" I called.

He gave an exasperated sigh and stopped, turning to look at me. "What?"

"Do you think we can take a rest?" I asked.

"Again?!" he questioned, obviously annoyed. "We rested just half an hour ago!"

"I know I know! But it's not like that. I just," I paused, my cheeks heating up as I stumbled to get the words out, "I-I need a bath!"

There, I said it. I haven't had a bath in two days now, the last bath I had taken was in Trick Tower where I luckily was able to get one thanks to Lippo. I was dirty again and I refused to go any minute more without one! I refused to be dirty!

He blinked, staring and staring and staring at me for what felt like hours. Suddenly he looked away and slumped. "Fine, whatever."

I grinned, pumping my fist up in the air in victory as a relieved laugh escaped my lips. "Thanks Killua, you're the best!"

Turning on my heels, I waved to him. "Alright, I'll be quick. There's a river close to here I saw earlier, I'll be over there. And don't look!" I told him.

He gave me a lazy wave back, his back to me as he stared ahead. "Yeah, sure."

With that said, I left off in a sprint, a huge goofy grin on my face as I happily thought of getting a bath. Oh gosh it's been so long, I was ecstatic! You know how I was complaining earlier about Killua? Yeah well, forget all that. Killua was the best!

It didn't take me long to get to the river and when I arrived, I went to the nearest tree to the bank. I slid by backpack off of my back and placed it on the ground. After taking a good long look to make sure no one was in the clearing watching, I bent down to my pack and dug into it. Taking out a hairband, I stood and put the band in between my lips as I gathered my black hair in one spot, before taking the band back and using it to tie my hair up in a high ponytail.

Once that was done I took off my shoes and socks, and hung my pants and shirt along with my jacket on a low branch. I decided to keep my bra and panties on, scared that someone might walk in on me and see me naked if I didn't keep them on. I mean, there was a rather high chance of that happening and I really didn't want anyone to see men fully naked.

With a mighty cry, I jumped into the cool clear water, forming a small wave from the action. My head broke the surface and I gave it a quick shake, sending droplets of water flying into the air.

Shivers racked my body but I paid no mind to the cool temperature. I moved further into the water, the level rising higher and higher with each step I took until it was covering my chest.

"Ah~ This feels great!" I sighed in bliss. I swear I was in heaven!

I was quickly getting used to the water's temperature and soon I was laughing and playing in the water. Time flew by quickly and soon I had totally forgotten about Killua and the exam.

That was probably the biggest mistake I could make.

Too busy playing in the water that I never noticed the presence far behind, nor did I hear the rustling of leaves over the sound of splashing water and my joyous laughter. Suddenly, a man came out of the bushes and gave a loud cry. I jumped, startled, and slipped into the water. For the briefest of seconds I couldn't see him and when my head popped out of the water, the man was no longer meters away from me.

No, he was right in front of me.

"Why if it isn't a little girl? How lucky am I?" The man licked his lips, and I couldn't help but shiver, and it wasn't from the water. "Don't worry, I have no interest in little girls. But tell me, where did you hide your badge?"

My foot slid back in the cool water and I bit my lip, trying to keep calm as my arms wrapped around my chest which was semi-hidden by the water. I trembled, wondering where Killua was when I needed him most.

_No! _I shook my head, getting rid of the thought. _I can't rely on Killua always. He's already helped me enough, I should be able to take care of this myself. _I gave a nod as a plan formed in my head. That's right, I could do this! I should be able to fight against him on my own. At least until I could get to Killua.

"It's... it's in my bag, in the smallest pocket," I told him.

His grin widened and I felt slightly disturbed at how it made his, I admit, handsome face that much more lovely. He was rather tall, only a few inches shorter than Leorio with short blond hair and a muscular build. Despite the baggy clothes he wore, it was obvious he was a strong fighter. That alone told me that he was much, much stronger than I was physically. I couldn't risk battling him.

"M-my bag is over there," I paused to point at where my clothes and bag were located, shivering once more when he chuckled victoriously. "You can have it if you want."

"Thanks little girl." I watched silently as he made his way to my backpack. Using this opportunity, I moved to the bank as quickly and quietly as I could. While he rummaged through my stuff I took off in a sprint, working my brain to remember the way I took here and totally forgetting my attire.

I burst through the green foliage and my lips twitched into a relieved smile at the sight of Killua lounging against a tree. "Killua!" I yelled, running straight for him.

His head snapped to me and he opened his mouth to most likely yell at me. The words however died down upon seeing my half-naked self and his face flushed brightly.

"K-Killua!" I said once more, wrapping my arms around his disoriented and blushing form, feeling tears pricking at my eyes. "I'm so glad I found you."

"H-Hiei?" Killua stuttered out, finally getting over his daze. "What the hell happened? Why are you hugging me? You're wet a-and without your clothes!" he yelled, struggling against my grip.

I pulled my head from his shoulder and stared tearfully into his sapphire eyes. Never in my dreams had they looked as marvelous as they had now. "I... An applicant found me while I was bathing and told me to hand over my badge. I told him it was in my backpack and when he went to get it, I ran here. I'm sorry!"

"An applicant?" He was suddenly alert.

I nodded my head. "That's right."

He sighed and helped me up to my feet. His hands were gripping each of my shoulders firmly and helped me stable myself. I looked up at him, slightly confused. His eyes did not meet mine, his head turned to his right and the hair at the side of his face doing little to cover the small blush that was painted on his cheeks.

"You okay?" he asked.

"Y-yeah," I said shakily.

"That's good." The boy pulled away from me and turned so that his back faced me. He crouched down, turning his head to look over his shoulders straight into my eyes. "Come on then. We might be able to catch up to him."

"Huh?" I was confused. He wanted to go back there and get the guy?

"Come on," he said impatiently. "We're going to get him. We can't let the guy go off with your badge and we have to get your clothes back too, right?"

My face turned beet red at the reminder and I crossed my arms in front of my chest in a useless act of concealing it. I squealed in embarrassment, but Killua did not let me suffer it any longer as he pulled me down onto his back and took off, his hands gripping my thighs firmly as he ran back to the pond with me on his back.

"W-why are you doing this?" I questioned, my voice high-pitched and squeaky.

"Isn't it obvious?" I guess not if I can't figure it out. He continued, "You're my partner in this, right? I can't just let the guy take off with your badge." I blushed at his words. "If we let him go now, you're gonna be left without your badge and we're either gonna have to go find him later on or have to take the badges of three other applicants. That's a big waste of our time."

I frowned at his words, feeling ashamed that I let this happen to me. I really was weak and stupid!

"Besides," he paused, his cheeks reddening once more which left me confused, "are you just gonna go around half-naked?"

My faces heated up once more and I let out a squeak in embarrassment. I ducked my head, letting my bangs cover my green eyes from him, though it really didn't matter if I did so or not since he couldn't see them. "I'm sorry," I mumbled.

He ignored my apology.

"Hey, this might just be our luck." I blinked, once more confused. From my position I could see the right side of his mouth twitching up in what could only be a smile. "Thanks to him, we're gonna get another point," he said with a smirk.

I gulped.

.

.

.

With Killua's speed were got to the site in just a few minutes. The guy was still there, looking frantically through my stuff for my badge. I wasn't sure whether to feel relieved that he was still here or frightful because I was back here with him again. The light squeeze Killua gave to my thighs brought my attention back to him and the fear I felt lessened considerably knowing that he was here with me.

The blonde finally took notice of us and turned swiftly, a deep scowl on his face. He thrust his hand out in front of him, pointing his sharp sword at us. "You, girl! Where's your badge?" he demanded.

Killua crouched down and slowly let me off his back. I stood behind him, my hands still gripping his shoulders in fear. I wasn't a fighter, I couldn't go against the guy, and so I needed reassurance from Killua.

"Don't move from here," Killua told me over his shoulder.

I nodded and hesitantly took my hands off his shoulder when he took a step forward.

A smirk came to his lips as the silverette stared the man down. "So this is the guy who got you? He doesn't look so tough," Killua taunted.

The man snarled angrily and oh god why did Killua have to make him angry? He slid his foot forward and brought his sword back to his wide where he held it in a tight grip. I stood with one arm around my chest and the other desperately blocking my underwear from view. I really hoped Killua knew what he was doing. I mean, I know he's an assassin, but who was to say that he couldn't get hurt?

Killua shrugged nonchalantly, appearing to dismiss the man in front of him. "Huh. He's not much. I don't know why you had so much trouble with him. A puppy could beat him."

That did it. The man snapped, letting out a growl through his clenched teeth and charging at Killua, easily taking the bait. "Why you little brat! I'll kill you!"

Killua stood as still as a statue, his arms shoved into his pockets and the smirk still playing his lips as the man approached.

I took a few steps back, afraid to get hit, and watched with worry as Killua easily dodged the man.

"Is that all you got? I take it back. Even a fly can put up a better fight than you," he mocked.

The man let out another growl and swung with blind fury at the boy, only to have his attack dodged once more by Killua. I sweat dropped as I watched the man stumble in his rage to kill Killua, throwing out clumsy attacks which even Leorio could dodge easily. _Killua's just playing with him, _I noted.

Finally, after Killua had finished toying with him, he sent the man a powerful kick to the guts that sent him sailing backwards into the tree my clothes and backpack were at. I winced at the impact, knowing that that must have hurt like a birch. Poor guy.

"Well then, now that that's over with, how 'bout you hand over your tag?" Killua asked, smiling victoriously at the man who lay shaking with pain on the ground.

The silverette slowly approached the man, his eyes narrowed and shadowed, telling of his switch to 'Assassin Mode' as I liked to call it. "Come on, hurry up," he told him impatiently.

The blonde man gritted his teeth in anger and pushed himself from the tree, giving out a battle cry as he charged Killua once more.

Killua ducked the swing of the blade and pulled out one hand from his pocket, lengthening his nails into claws which could cut through even metal. I watched, marveled at how quickly and easily Killua took the applicant down. Killua's hand reached to the man's stomach and I turned away from the scene before I could witness the assassin impale the man.

With my eyes shut tightly together and my hands covering my ears, I was spared the sight and sound of the man's defeat. I didn't hear the words Killua uttered to the man though a moment later I felt soft taps on my shoulder and I slowly opened my eyes to see Killua looking to my right. His right hand was extended and I saw that he was carrying my backpack.

I smiled widely, feeling relief at seeing it again. "Thanks so much!"

The boy gave me a brief glance before shrugging and throwing the bag towards me. "Yeah, whatever. Just put on some clothes, it's weird seeing you like that."

I caught the bag rather awkwardly, a blush staining my cheeks as I watched Killua walk away. I turned the opposite direction, carefully avoiding looking at the blonde man bleeding on the ground, and quickly left to change into some spare clothes I luckily had in my backpack.

"I'm done!" I announced once I was finished and came out from behind a tree to see Killua playing with the blonde applicant's badge.

He looked towards me and smiled. "Took you long enough. Almost thought you got ambushed again," he teased.

I gave a sheepish laugh and hurried towards him. "Sorry." My eyes landed on the fallen form of the applicant that ambushed me and I cringed at the sight of the blood covering his abdomen. Suddenly I felt myself getting nauseous and I quickly turned away from him, shutting my eyes tightly as I wished the sight out of my mind.

"Hey, you okay?" Killua asked.

I nodded slowly, feeling my stomach churn unpleasantly. Oh gosh, why did Killua have to stab the man through the stomach? And couldn't he at least hide the body instead of leaving it in plain sight for me to see? I think I'm gonna be sick!

"Hey if you're gonna puke, go behind a tree or something!" Killua yelled in alarm.

I covered my mouth and shot to the nearest tree to me, feeling the contents of my stomach making its way up my throat and to my mouth.

I really am gonna be sick!

.

.

.

"Hey Killua," I mumbled, turning to him with a blush, "Thanks for helping me out earlier."

He shrugged my thanks off. "Naw. I just didn't want to waste time getting you six points later. And anyway, you're my partner, right?" he said, turning to me with a smirk.

I nodded, a smile of my own tugging at my lips. "Yup, partners!"

The two of us walked through the forest in peaceful silence. I reached into my pocket and took out my iPhone, turning the cell on and looking to the time. I hummed when I saw it was just a little past five. Looks like we still had a long while to go yet until it was dark, and until this exam ended.

Hey that reminds me.

I turned back to Killua and poked his shoulder with my finger. "Killua?"

"Hmm?" He turned to look at me curiously.

"What are we going to do with the extra badge?" I asked, referring to the one we had gotten from that applicant Killua had defeated.

He shrugged. "I don't know, keep it for now I guess. We'll see," he replied.

I hummed in thought, looking into the endless rows of trees, trees and even more trees. "So what do you think Gon's doing now?" I asked.

"Don't know," he replied with a shrug. "Maybe we can meet up with him later on though."

"Yeah, that'd be nice," I agreed.

"The next time we meet up, I'm gonna make sure to tell him of how you ran to me half-naked crying and begging for my help," he said with a laugh.

I flushed, going stiff at the remind. "D-d-d-don't!" I stuttered out, turning to him and waving my arms at my sides. "P-p-please d-don't tell! And I w-wasn't crying!"

"Are you kidding me? You totally were!" His lips turned up into a teasing smirk. He cleared his throat and, rather poorly, mimicked me; "'Killua please, help me! A applicant came while I was bathing and demanded for my badge'."

He burst out laughing once more, making me cross my arms over my chest and pout as my blush consumed my face. Oh god this was so humiliating!

"I-I don't sound like that," I told him indignantly.

"Yeah you do."

"No I don't!"

"Yeah you do."

"Okay, fine! I do! Whatever," I huffed and turned away from him. "B-but please don't tell? I'll," I paused, looking at him with a pleading expression, "I'll do anything!"

"Anything...?" The smirk he widened into a mischievous grin.

I gulped, suddenly realizing what I had said, and racked my brain for something else to say. Oh god, I really hoped he wasn't going to make me do anything horrible! "N-n-no... I... I mean yes - I mean no. Wait, y-yes. Ugh, fine, whatever!" _Just don't make me do anything humiliating!_

A low, evil-like chuckle escaped his mouth and I tensed. "Alright, I'll keep you up to that. But you better keep the promise~" he sang out, and I really regretted what I said.

I know I wouldn't like what he had in store for me.

* * *

_So here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long but I've been working on other things. I was actually gonna make this longer but then decided against it because it would have ended yup too long._

_Anyway, what'd you think of this chapter? How 'bout Lyrica?_

_I think I'm making her come off as too wimpy and weak. But then, she's not really a fighter, so it's alright. Right? Well, if you guys are displeased with how weak she is, don't worry! I'm gonna make her badass._

_...eventually. :P_

_Like I said, she's not much of a fighter. After all, she's just an ordinary girl that got pulled into the Hunter x Hunter world. She won't just randomly become really strong just because she's there. Give her time. Lots of time. Time and practice. Then she'll get stronger._

_But until then, she'll remain the weak and slightly whiny little girl that she is :P_

_So, review? Please?_

_I'll give you a virtual cookie if you do? :3_


	8. The Fourth Phase 2

**Day 3**

Three days have passed since Killua and I first stepped foot on this island. After the incident yesterday, we spent our days in awkward silence. I can't even tell you how hard it is walking next to him after he'd seen me pretty much half-naked yesterday. I mean, he saw me in nothing but my bra and panties! I'm so embarrassed I could die! I swear if it was possible, I'd be dead from humiliation. I'm sure that if the others heard of what happened, that they'd either laugh in my face or avoid me.

I'm still praying for the ground to swallow me whole so I wouldn't have to go through this torture. Oh god I really hope that this doesn't get out to Gon and the others. It was bad enough that Killua saw me in that state, I don''t want the others to know of what happened.

My head turned to the side and I looked over my shoulder, the sound of leaves rustling invading my eardrums. Thinking now, isn't today the day that Killua gets his six points? I mean, it is the third day. That's when that Amori or Imori or whoever attacks him.

Oh wow, that's so cool! I'll be able to see Killua in action, live! To think I'd be able to see him fight up so close.

And that's when the lighthouse in my mind turned on.

Just in time as well. While Killua called the guy out and tried to persuade him to come out, I tiptoed away from his side.

"You're wasting your time. I'll never give you an opening to attack," Killua called out behind him.

Of course, there was no reply, but the sound of giggling could be heard very faintly. "I am a very cautious man..." came the mumbling of another applicant.

The predator that would soon turn prey.

"If you're not gonna show yourself, I'll come for you," the silverette threatened.

There was a faint gasp this time.

Killua proceeded forward. "What a pain... You're only one point to me," he grumbled.

The silverette suddenly stopped, at the same time his 'predator' looked over his shoulder, and saw the guy's two older brothers. He blinked.

"We ran into some trouble," explained the brother in the red shirt.

"You're done, right?" the other, more buffier brother questioned.

That was when they noticed that Killua was still up and running, no injuries or any signs of fighting. And that was also when the youngest brother found himself soaring through the air and crashing to the ground, only to be picked up by the front of his shirt and hit again by his other brother. In boredom Killua watched the three argue with each other. After a moment of yelling, the youngest brother finally mustered up enough courage to attack Killua.

He stood and dusted himself off, before proceeding towards the silverette. He gave the boy a warning, to which he didn't concede to. But before he could really attack, he was halted by a female voice.

"Stop right there you heinous villain! How dare you try and rob an innocent little kid! Leave the kid alone and get out of here. If you do not concede, then I shall deliver to you the hammer of justice!" I yelled, pointing at the youngest brother accusingly. My chest was puffed out and I stood atop a fairly large rock not too far from them.

The four males stared and stared at me and stared at me, each with varying expressions.

I flinched at receiving no awesomely funny reaction like I thought I would. Coughing into my hand, I quickly composed myself and tried once more. "If you do not concede then be prepared to face the hammer of justice!" at this I raised a fist up in the air, mimicking Amelia's pose. "Even if you are some lowly weak fiends, know that I shall not go easy on you. For justice is not delivered on the weak, but the wicked. Which means that you may be fat and hideous, or muscled and beautiful, but you will still receive the wrath of justice all the same! This is your last chance. Admit defeat and run, run away from here and never show you evil faces to us again!"

And they stared and stared and stared and stared and stared some more.

I did not waver, not this time. "If you still don't back down then so be it! The hammer of justice will strike upon you!" Tensing my legs, I pushed forward and flew through the air. Luckily the youngest brother wasn't too far away from me and I could reach him. Spinning much like Amelia would, I pulled one leg back and kicked him hard in the face. Too dazed by my awesome introduction, he didn't see it coming.

He fell to the ground and gave a smothered pained cry, the bottom of my foot still on his face. Seeing this, the other two brothers finally snapped out of their dazes. They gave their enraged cries but I did not listen. Jumping off of the youngest brother, I charged at the fattest (or more muscled) one, pulling my arm back and punching him with the force of a moving truck.

To my astonishment, he easily caught the punch.

It was at that moment, when his hand was squeezing tightly onto my enclosed fist, that I realized I was attacking most likely the strongest out of the three brothers. I shrank in on myself, looking much like the weak and fragile girl I was, and gave a small whimper in fear.

Oh gosh why am I so stupid? Attacking the strongest when I barely even knew how to fight? Where was Killua when I needed him!

"What were you saying about us being lowly weak fiends?" the fatty (muscled) one asked.

"I think we should teach her a lesson," the taller one said.

I chuckled nervously, ducking my head and I tried to subtly back away from them.

Of course, they just had to notice. The one holding onto me pulled me closer towards him. I noted that he was almost the height of two of me (damn it Togashi, you just had to make everyone tower over Gon and Killua (and me), didn't you?). I whimpered once more and they only snickered.

Not able to hold myself back anymore, I did the one thing any sane person in my place would do. I screamed, loudly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it. You're not ugly! You're not weak! You're not evil! I was just joking, see? Just a stupid joke because I'm so stupid and love anime and thought it'd be cool to copy Amelia and I'm sorry! Killua help me! Pleasepleasepleasepleasehelpmehelpmepleasepleaseplease!"

In my little attempt to get away from them my leg kicked up and I ended up kneeing him where no man should be kneed. He flinched when my knee made contact with his groin and gave a loud groan. Both his hands shot to cover his crotch and, with my hand still grasped in his, I was pulled down with him. I would have cringed or even blushed at the spot my hand was forced to touch, but the only thing I could think of at that moment was that I was falling and the tallest brother looked enraged.

I winced when my chin hit the ground, the aching almost making me moan though I was able to refrain. Looking up, my eyes met with his and I tensed at the furious face the fatty was making.

"Why you little...!"

I didn't let him finish. Shrieking in pure terror, I kicked my leg forward, my foot slamming into his face. There was a sickening crunch and I pulled my leg away, a few small droplets of red liquid flowing out of his nose and moving just behind my foot. He screamed in pain and let my hand go, stumbling backwards a few steps before his hands shot to his nose to hold it.

Using this opportunity, I rolled a few feet back and stood, making a run for Killua.

Unfortunately, I didn't go very far. Three steps in my run and I was pulled back by my hood. The tallest of the brothers (a.k.a the skinny little sadistic popsicle with the superiority complex) pulled me back. On reflex, I grabbed his wrists and, with the strength I never knew I possessed, kicked him in the sheen. He flinched and grabbed at his leg, only I used the momentum to flip him over my shoulder and slam him on the ground.

He groaned, fatty was still writhing on the ground, the youngest of the brothers stared at me in a mixture of shock and fear, Killua was just staring, and I stood in the center of the mess looking beyond shocked at what I had just done.

_Oh my god, did I really just do what I think I did? This is just like with the Third Phase! _I thought in a daze.

An awkward silence passed by (with the exceptions of thee moans and groans coming from two specific injured people), in which I just stood there in embarrassment, with Killua staring at me weirdly, and the youngest brother looking beyond terrified of me. Once more I wished that the ground could just swallow me whole.

Why do I keep getting into these kinds of situations?

Then there was a faint sound of laughter. It was so quiet, I wondered whether I heard it or not. Looking up, I saw Killua holding a hand to his mouth and his shoulders hunched up. There was that sound again, only louder this time. It kept and kept getting louder until finally, he was full-blown laughing.

_Laughing._

I flushed brightly in embarrassment. My favorite Hunter x Hunter character was laughing at me! Again, ground please swallow me up now.

"Oh man, that was hilarious! Who knew you had it in you? I knew hanging with you would be entertaining, but I didn't it would be this funny. You're hilarious! Weird, but hilarious!"

And he laughed some more.

Ground, now would be a really good time to kill me.

Please?

I'm begging you!

.

.

.

It took a while, but Killua had finally stopped laughing at me, the two brothers I had injured were back on their feet, and the youngest brother had finished in his trembling. I was now behind Killua, as the two older brothers looked ready to murder me. The youngest though didn't look to want to come near me after what I did to the other two.

I did not want to go through all of that again.

So now we were back on track. The three brothers were more cautious now in approaching us. I think they were a little scared that I'd kick their butts again (by accident, but they didn't know that). So two went around us while the third proceeded forward, making a triangle around us. Knowing what was coming back, I walked back a few paces and to the right.

I did not want Killua to be slammed into me when the brother in the front kicked him.

And just like in canon, take and give a few minor exceptions, Killua was kicked back and he didn't even do anything to defend himself. So he landed a few paces away with a hard smack, but did not make a sound.

Next, the brother went after me.

Of course, I screamed and fell to the floor. He tried to stomp on me, but I luckily rolled away. Before he or any of the other brothers could do anything else, Killua calmly pushed himself onto his legs and loudly announced that he had the ID card of the brother that kicked him, earning gasps from them.

"#197, huh?" He looked disappointed. "Since it's two numbers off from the one I'm after, maybe #199 is one of your two buddies?" he inquired, flipping the badge in his hand.

They didn't respond, but it was easy to understand.

Immediately the brother closest to me from which Killua stole the badge from searched his pockets, only to come up empty-handed. Killua really did steal his badge!

It was easy to tell that the three were beyond shocked. I frowned, this wasn't how canon went. Killua was supposed to get badge #198 first, and then go after #197. It was all mixed up. _No doubt because I'm here, _I noted.

Did that mean I was changing canon?

Brother number three (the tallest brother) backed away from me, deciding that I wasn't important at the moment. At the slightest twitch towards Killua, the silverette disappeared and reappeared beside the youngest brother, kicking him behind the knee and grabbing at his collar to keep him still. His claws out, he poised it at the back of the guy's neck.

"Don't move," he warned them. "My fingers are sharper than knives."

While Killua searched the brother, I stood and made my way out of the middle of the formation, closer to Killua. It wouldn't hurt to be cautious. Besides, the other two brothers were frozen, so it would be a good time. Get out of danger while you can, right? Who knew if they were going to attack again. This wasn't like canon anymore, that was for certain.

"Huh? You #198? I'm so bad at guessing these things. Hey," he addressed the fattest brother, "are you #199?"

"Yeah..."

"Hand it over," Killua demanded.

The guy didn't need to be told twice. With some hesitance, he took it out of his pocket and threw it harshly at Killua, who caught it with no problem. I smiled, Killua looked so hot right now!

"Thank you."

Aww, and that thank you was just so adorable! I was slipping into la-la land. No, I shook my head, I had to stay focused. I could fantasize all I want after we get out of this situation.

"Now, for the tags I don't need," he pulled out the two other tags.

Wait...

With amazing force, Killua threw the first badge to the left.

_Wait..._

"And the other one this way!" Then he turned and threw the other badge at the two brothers, forcing them to duck or risk getting themselves hit by it. They gasped at seeing the badge go flying off.

**_Wait..._**

"You still have three days. Good luck finding them."

I screeched, "My badge!" My hand shot forward, as if I could catch the badge somehow, and anime-like tears ran down my face. "My badge! You threw it away! It's gone!"

I felt someone pick me up, but I did not notice. Too focused on the fact that Killua _threw my target's badge away, _I was lost to the world around me.

"See ya," was all the warning I got before the scenery flashed before my eyes in rapid speed. When I was set back on my feet and the world had stopped spinning, I noticed we were in a completely different place.

Still in a forest, but not where we were before.

I gave a cry, clutching at my hair. "My badge! You threw my badge! Now I won't pass! How could you?" I fell to my knees, sobbing comically as I cursed Killua and Togashi and whatever other being there was that loved to mess with me.

Startled out of my crying, I looked up at Killua and rubbed the back of my head where I'm sure he had hit me. He sighed at my state and outstretched his arm to hover above my face, letting go of whatever it was he was holding onto. It slammed on my forehead, but there was only a dull pain from the clip that hit me. I picked it up and stared at the item.

Wait...

This was...! But how?

Killua... He...!

"It's your badge," he stated. "Gee, you didn't have to cry like that."

I hiccuped, the badge shaking in my trembling hands. Suddenly, I jumped at Killua, startling him when when I wrapped my arms around his middle and cried into his shirt. "Killua~" I whined, "You scared me back there. Almost gave me a heart attack. But you had the badge all along~ You made me cry~ You're so mean~"

I felt hands pushing me back by my shoulders and I only tightened my grip around him, rubbing my face further in his shirt and earning a gasp. "Killua~"

"Gah!" he yelled, using even more force now, "Get off me! I get it, I'm mean! Just get off!"

I sniffed and blew my nose into his shirt.

"Oi! Don't blow your nose on my shirt! Stop!" he screamed. "Get off I said!"

* * *

**Day 4**

I hummed thoughtfully as I walked beside Killua. We were in a more open area now, heading to where we knew was a body of water. Since we were out of water, Killua had the brilliant idea to get it from the nearby river. So there we were going.

"Hey Killua?"

"Hmm?"

"I've been wondering this since yesterday but," I trailed off, frowning in remembrance. Looking to him, I asked, "You threw away two badges, but you had a third that you gave me." At this I pulled out my target's badge from my right pocket to show him, "What was the second badge that you threw away?"

"Oh that?" He smirked suddenly, and I swear cat ears and a tail popped out from his head and butt.

No, really.

Cat ears and tail.

_Cat ears and tail._

How the heck was that possible?

"Remember the badge I stole from the guy that attacked you when you were bathing?" He didn't even wait for my response, "We didn't need it anymore, so I decided to throw it away. What's the point in keeping it?" He snickered derisively behind a hand, as if he knew some secret that I didn't.

I blushed, half of myself wanting to sweat drop at that moment while the other half wanted to squeal at how adorable he looked right now. So I decided on an alternate. I shook my head, "Hanzo's not going to be happy when he finds out."

"Hanzo?" Killua questioned, now looking confused than smug.

"The guy who was following us. The..." I paused, trying to find a good word to describe the ninja, "He's the baldy."

"Oh him," he remembered. "But you noticed him?"

Why did he sound so surprised?

I nodded. "Yeah, he was following us for a while. You noticed too, right?"

Stupid question, of course he noticed. That's why he swapped the two badges he threw at the last second in canon, so that Hanzo would get the wrong one.

"Hmm."

* * *

**Day 5**

"Killua~" I whined, pulling at his lavender shirt.

"No!" he yelled, continuing in his walk, dragging me behind him without a problem.

"But Killua~" I tried again.

He suddenly stopped, making me stop as well and smack my face on his back. I stumbled and fell to the ground at the abrupt action, giving a small cry in surprise. "No means no! I told you, I'm not going to keep watch while you bathe!" he told me firmly.

I sniffed, looking up at him with wide, puppy-dog eyes. "But Killua, I'm dirty~ Besides, I offered to be on watch while you bathe too!"

"No!" he hissed, a faint pink blush appearing on his face. "If you want to bathe, do it yourself! I'm not your guard dog!"

I pouted, looking up at him pleadingly. "Than can you at least wait for me?"

"No."

A single tear ran down the side of my face, dropping onto my thigh. I puckered out my lips, looking ready to bawl.

He faltered, "Wait, don't cry! I, uh... I'm..." He gave an exasperated sigh in defeat, "Fine, alright. You can go take a bath and I'll watch for anyone!"

"Killua you're the best!" I yelled, hugging him around the waist and catching him off guard once more. All traces of my tears vanished and I was grinning full out. "Thank you so much!"

"Wait a second," he said in realization.

I moaned in pain as a sudden jolt hit me at the top of my head, loosening my hold on him.

"You faker, you were pretending to cry! I can't believe I fell for it!"

I chuckled nervously at the angry expression on his face. Sticking my tongue out I said, "Sorry...?"

"You're going to pay for this," he swore.

And right then and there, I regretted trying to fool him into doing what I want.

I was so dead.

* * *

**Day 7**

I hummed in boredom, drumming my fingers rhythmically on the jagged wood of the tree I was on. Killua, at the moment, was at the small pond on the island taking a bath. After what happened two days ago, it was decided that, while one bathes, the other one will keep watch to make sure no one walks in on them. Since I had already taken my bath and Killua was taking his now, that left me out to watch.

Let me tell you, that is so boring.

There was no one around and the only entertainment I can find is from the wildlife on the island. Weird looking squirrels running up trees, mutated rabbits flying around, pretty butterflies fluttering from one spot to another. Yep, this was all I could do.

Watch.

**_"The Fourth Phase of the exam has just ended. Will the applicants please return to the starting point at once?"_**

I jumped at the sudden noise, almost falling out of the tree I was at if not for my quick reflexes. Hanging on to dear life (even though I was only about four and a half feet in the air) with my arms wrapped tightly on the branch, I panted as my heart raced at the sudden panic attack. Quickly righting myself, I looked out into the dozens of trees as I allowed myself to listen.

**_"You will be given one hour of extra time. If you do not return during this time, you will fail the exam. Furthermore, you are not allowed to exchange tags after reaching the starting point. Anyone caught swapping tags will be disqualified."_**

"Killua!" I called out, though did not look back.

I wasn't very far away from the pond, actually only a few dozen meters. There were only a dozen trees behind me and I could easily see through the leaves and branches if I looked back.

Hey, I needed to stay close by, right? I am not a pervert, I never looked in on him. I swear!

Though I don't know about Killua...

I trusted him though. He wasn't a pervert.

Well...

But he wouldn't look at me! I'm positive he's interested in older women (sadly).

"Yeah! I'm almost done!" I heard him yell back.

And so I waited for him to finish. Sooner than I thought, he appeared right beside me on the same branch, hair still wet and drooping down (which looked rather funny, I admit) and skateboard tucked in his arm.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

I nodded to him. Standing up, I exhaled and, preparing myself, I jumped off the branch, managing to land on the ground safely. By the time I was standing straight, Killua was already beside me, almost startling me with how fast and silent he'd been.

"Let's go," he said.

And the two of us left.

* * *

_Hey guys, sorry it took so long to get this out. I've been working on my other fics, especially the brand new one I made, a Shingeki no Kyojin x Naruto one with Hinata as the protagonist :D Check it out if you want!_

_I'd like to thank Brave Illyria, jonica77, Isella of the wolf tribe, Chi505, DorkyFox, HaruOtaku-san, KieyuuMizuumi and Guest for reviewing the last chapter. And also, Shuri Kuran for reviewing chapter 4. I can't believe I got 8 reviews (plus 1 from Shuri Kuran)! I never thought it'd be possible. You guys are just amazing! :) Here's a virtual cookie for all of you *hands virtual cookie to everyone*_

_Before you go, please leave a review. I love hearing feedback._

_Please?_

_I'll give more cookies :3_


	9. Pranks are Fun

**_Warning:_ **_Has not been edited, so it's just gotta be filled with mistakes. That is all._

* * *

After getting back to the boat and reuniting with our friends, we split once more. Gon, Kurapika, and Leorio went one way while Killua and I the other. I forget the reasoning for it, but I think it had something to do with the former wanting to have some time to talk or something. Since I didn't want to leave Killua alone, and because I didn't want to be alone, I headed off with him.

We were quick to order, somehow being the first of the remaining applicants to come to the cafeteria. Sitting at a table away from majority of the other applicants, the two of us ate and chatted together. About the exam, a little about our lives, about our other friends, and anything else that came to our minds. And when we didn't know what else to say to each other, we just sat quietly and continued with our meal.

"Hey Killua," I called, interrupting the brief silence that had befallen us.

With our meal finished and the remains dumped in the garbage, the two of us headed out to do some exploring. It was just the two of us.

"Hmm?" he asked.

"What do you think is wrong with Gon?" I inquired.

Earlier when we met up and chatted, I noticed that Gon was acting a little strange. And by strange, I mean stranger than usual. His smiles weren't as bright, his didn't sparkle in that usual cheerful way they always did, and he looked just a little distant from us. Of course, I had an idea of what was wrong with him having watched the anime and read a little of the manga, but I still couldn't stop myself from worrying about him.

Killua shrugged beside me in that usual nonchalant manner. "I'm not sure. I was actually about to ask you that myself," he replied.

The two of us stopped in the middle of the hall and I frowned in thought. "Could it be because of Hisoka?"

"What does Hisoka have to do with this?"

"Because Hisoka's supposed to be his target," I reminded. "Maybe something happened between the two that upset Gon?"

"Do you think Hisoka did something to him?" asked Killua.

"Or maybe he ran into someone else that upset him," I suggested.

The two of us continued on our way, discussing possibilities to Gon's strange behavior. It wasn't long when there was an announcement through the intercom asking for applicants to meet with Chairman Netero. The first was obviously Hisoka and the two of us headed off to where the Chairman since it wouldn't be long before we were called up as well.

"Do you think this is the Final Phase?" Killua asked, haven given up on Gon's strange behavior.

I shook my head: "No, I doubt it. The chairman said it'd be in three days. He wouldn't lie to us like that. If I had to guess, I'd say he only wants to talk to us or something." I didn't bother telling him the real reason Chairman Netero was calling for us. I didn't think it was needed. Besides, Killua would only question me on it and I didn't want that.

**_"Number 99, Killua-sama, please come to the reception room,"_** was called out.

The two stopped in front of the door and Killua turned to me. "Well, guess it's my turn. I'll be out soon," he said.

With that, he went inside.

I leaned my back into the wall to the left of the wall, waiting patiently for Killua to be finished and my turn to come.

_**"Number 112, Hiei-sama, please come to the reception room."**_

I perked up at the sound of the door opening and smiled at the sight of Killua. He smiled back and the two of us stepped to each other. "So how'd it go?" I asked him.

"It's like you said, he only called us to talk to us," Killua replied.

"What did he ask?" I tilted my head, feigning curiosity. I already knew what he wanted.

"Just wanted to know who we wanted to fight and who we didn't, or something like that. You're up," he replied.

"I'll be back," I said with a grin.

Heading inside, my eyes were immediately checking out the room. It was just like in the anime, though with more detail. The chairman sat close to the middle of the room on a blue cushion, a low table in front of him and on the other side another cushion. Behind him was a large picture with what I assumed was kanji on the paper. I've only seen a few calligraphy paintings and I was no expert on it, but I had to admit the kanji were beautiful.

"Come, come. Take a seat. I won't bite."

I snapped out of my stupor and looked at the chairman, just realizing that I hadn't made a move to sit at the table. Quickly nodding nervously, I paced to the cushion and sat down. "I'm sorry. Hello," I told him.

He just laughed good-heartedly, stroking his weirdly shaped beard. "You seem nervous. Relax," he told me.

I blushed, looking down at my folded knees. As if I could I'd be okay in the presence of one of the strongest people in this world. While I wasn't as excited to meet wit him the first time, that was because I was dirty and tired and not quite myself. Now I'm better and even looking at him was an honor. He was one of the most badass characters in the series! One of my favorites!

_Calm down, Lyrica. You cannot go all fangirl on him. No going fangirl on him. No, no, no, no. No, _I sternly told myself.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to calm down. I did not want to embarrass myself again. The gods know that I've already done that enough while in my dream. I wouldn't allow myself to do anything stupid anymore.

"Now I'm going to ask you some questions," he told me, looking down at the clipboard in his hand. "First question, why do you want to become a Hunter?"

Oh yeah, I've been waiting for this question. Ever since Pokkle had asked me, I've been thinking about it. While this was a dream, it was still nice to think about being a Hunter and all. "At first I came here because I thought it was fun," not a complete lie, "but now I want to really become a Hunter. Maybe a Gourmet Hunter like Miss Menchi or a Treasure Hunter like Miss Biscuit or an Archaeologist Hunter like Mister Ging!"

"Is there any specific reason you want to become those?" the chairman asked.

"Well for wanting to be a Gourmet Hunter, I love to cook! My grandma taught me a lot about cooking and she says it's always good to know how to. It's been my dream to be a really good cook like her! And I think if I become a Gourmet Hunter, I can learn more about cooking and even become as good as my grandma and Miss Menchi.

"As for being a Treasure Hunter, I like finding rare and unique things. Just image what kind of things I can find! Rare and beautiful jewels! Games! There's just so many things!" By now I had a huge grin on my face as I gushed about my new found dreams.

"And it's the same for Archaeologist Hunter! I can find so many cool things, like Mister Ging did! I'd love to find undiscovered ruins!" Now I was just bouncing in my seat. "It's gonna be so cool and not only will I get to do new and cool things, I'll also be able to get stronger and better!"

The chairman laughed good naturedly. "Such ambitious dreams. I'm sure you will succeed."

I blushed, ducking my head in embarrassment. The grin eased into a smile and I nodded my head. "Thank you."

He just smiled.

"Next question, which of the other nine applicants are you keeping an eye on?" At this question he gestured to the ten pictures on his desk which I only now noticed.

"Everyone," I replied.

He raised an eyebrow in question.

"Well, you see. If I were to only point to one, I would be lying. I'm keeping an eye on everyone because every one of the nine other applicants are interesting. Hisoka's scary strong. Ill - I mean, Gittarakur is mysterious and appears to be hiding some kind of dangerous secret. Gon is strange and has a lot of talent. Kurapika's really smart and can be scary strong like Hisoka. Leorio, while he doesn't appear like anything much at first sight, does have a lot of talent and he's kind-hearted. Killua's unique and insanely strong, and has a good heart as well. Pokkle, I just know, will become a good Hunter. While I don't know much about Mister Bodoro, he's good as well. And then there's Hanzo, who's a ninja! It's self-explanatory.

"If I don't look out for any of them, I'll be in trouble. It's common knowledge to keep an eye on any potential opponents. They're all very talented and compared to them, I'm nothing. So I have to make sure I watch out," I explained.

"Now you're being too hard on yourself. You've made it this far, so you've got to be talented," he told me.

I shook my head. "That was just luck and my friends. Without them I wouldn't be here, and I'm thankful for them. Next question please," I said, not wanting to be told otherwise.

"Alright, one last question. Which of the applicants would you least want to fight?" he asked.

Now this was hard. I didn't want to fight any of them, for obvious reasons. They were all so much stronger than myself, there was no way I could beat any of them, not even with my luck. Fighting any of them was like wishing for death. Especially fighting Killua, Illumi, Hisoka and Hanzo. I shuddered at the idea.

"I'd like to say that I don't want to fight any of them. All are stronger than me and I'd just lose. The best chance I have is to either face Mister Bodoro, because he doesn't look like the type to fight children, Gon because he's my friend and is less likely to want to fight me, and Leorio because he's the closest to my level. But if I had to pick the least, I'd say Gittarakur, Hisoka, Killua and Hanzo. Any of them wouldn't have trouble beating me and I have the suspicion that they wouldn't give a thought to actually doing it. They're the scariest," I confessed.

He laughed in that weird way he did that reminded me of Santa, stroking his beard. "Hohoho, well aren't you a modest young girl. Alright, that's all the questions I have for you. You may go now."

I nodded and stood, walking to the door.

.

.

.

"Umm, Chairman Netero?"

"Hmm? What is it?"

"Can I braid your hair?"

.

.

.

* * *

The door creaked open and I stepped into the hall. A stupid smile was spread across my face and there was even a noticeable spring in my steps. Killua, who was leaning against the wall I previously was at waiting for me, sent me a strange look. I didn't care though. There was no way anyone could ruin my day now.

"What's with that stupid look?"

Ouch, that hurt. But I continued to smile, even humming softly to myself. I swear flowers were blooming around me. Weird.

"Oh, nothing~" I sang out, just a tad bit too high-pitched to sound good.

He raised an eyebrow.

I conceded. "Well you see, I asked the chairman if I could braid his hair."

"You asked to braid the chairman's hair?" he deadpanned.

I nodded.

"You're weird."

I ignored the comment. "Anyway, I asked if I could braid his hair and he said no."

"Then why are you so happy?" he questioned, confused.

"Because I convinced him to let me give him a hug!" I exclaimed, pumping my hands up in the air with the stupid grin pretty much splitting my face now. It ached a little, but I was too happy to care to stop grinning.

Killua stared blankly at me.

I almost pouted at his lack of a reaction. Almost. Like I said, no one could dampen my mood right now.

"I'm so happy! I've always wanted to give the chairman a hug. He's just so cool! I mean he's so old, yet he's still a badass! Probably the strongest old man in the world!" I yelled, jumping up and down in excitement. "And I hugged him! I never knew it could be possible! I can just die happy now!" I sighed, turning into pudding at that moment with a dreamy look in my eyes. It was official, I was the happiest girl in the world.

"Okay..." Killua stretched the word, obviously freaked out by my state. "I think you've seen enough of the old geezer. Let's go."

And he proceeded to drag me away. While I had an urge to snap at him for calling the chairman an old geezer, it was quickly squashed down my glee of actually being able to hug the chairman. I was on cloud nine.

* * *

"So," Killua began hesitantly, seeing as I was still giddy about hugging the chairman, "what do you think the next phase is going to be?"

I finally snapped out of my daze at his question and shook off any left over glee. At the reminder of the next phase, I couldn't help but wince at the image of a bloodied and beaten Gon from my mind. Add in that Hanzo was also going to beat up Pokkle the same way and that it was then when Illumi reveals himself to Killua and pretty much traumatizes him, I definitely wasn't looking forward to that. And to think, if I didn't wake up by the time the phase came, I'd have to participate in it.

Oh I was gonna hate this.

Putting on a more excited expression, I inwardly cringed when I noticed Killua didn't seem to buy it. But of course, he was a trained assassin. "I'm not sure. What do you think it's gonna be?" Oh gosh, that sounded so fake, I felt like slamming my head in a wall it was so painful.

He didn't comment on my sudden changes in mood, which I was glad for. "Don't know. We've been fight a lot so it could be another fight," he suggested.

Wow, he was really close. Spot on, actually.

"Or it could be a written exam," I commented with smirk.

Killua faltered in his step and choked on his saliva at the idea, banging his chest lightly as he coughed. It was actually really funny to see the look of horror my words brought to him. In the old anime it was greatly hinted that he hated paper work, but it appeared it was the same for the new anime as well. Wonder what he'd think at the possibility of the Final Phase being a math quiz. Killua hated math.

I inwardly snickered, trying hard not to do so outwardly as well. It would hurt Killua's pride.

"What the hell? There's no way!" he immediately denied.

"But it could be," I pressed. I decided I'd have a little fun. "You know the association is looking for qualifying applicants. That means these applicants must be smart on top of skilled in battle. We've done everything battle-related. It's not too far-fetched to think our next phase would involve our brains. Don't you think?"

He was perturbed at the mere thought. "I guess you're right... But a written exam?"

"Well, you never know. This is the Hunter Exam we're talking about. It's possible," I said.

"You got me there," he reluctantly said.

"So, wanna try and study just in case?" I asked.

He wrinkled his nose in disdain. "I'd... rather not."

"But what if it is going to be a written exam? You'll fail if you don't study," I told him.

"And what about you?" he shot back.

I shrugged. "Unlike you, I like reading books. Besides, I'd love to learn more about this place."

"What do you mean?" he inquired.

I decided to lie a little, knowing I couldn't tell him this was all a dream and I wanted to see if I could somehow learn more about the Hunter x Hunter world. He'd think I'm psycho. "Well if I'm going to become a Hunter, I should learn as much as I can, right? I still haven't totally decided on what kind of Hunter I wanna be. Who knows, if I study a little, I might find out just what kind of Hunter I want to become."

He eyed me suspiciously.

I ignored it as best as I could.

"Hmm... You're hiding something," he suddenly said.

I smiled nervously, knowing I was caught. But I wouldn't give in just yet. "Maybe I am, maybe I'm not," I replied.

The rest of the walk was pretty silent after that. As much as I enjoyed the peaceful silence, I had the snaking suspicion he was trying to uncover my secret. It just made me that much more nervous in the possibility of him actually finding out the truth. This may be a dream, but that didn't mean I wanted my favorite character to think of me as insane or even hate me.

It was possible...

* * *

Three days were quick to pass and soon it was time for the Final Phase to commence. During that time I had somehow been able to convince Killua to study in the library for the possibility of the last phase being a written exam. Somehow along the way, I was even able to convince Gon and Leorio, who convinced Kurapika. Upon questioning why we were studying (I wasn't really, just reading over a few cook books they had) and having replied the possibility of the last phase being a written exam, Hanzo and Pokkle were immediately joining us in fear that they would fail.

Soon enough most of the applicants were studying with the exception of Hisoka and Gittarakur (pity), even Bodoro had participated. All the while I just sat back and silently laughed at being able to convince them of the lie. I still didn't know how I had accomplished that, but one thing I knew was that it was funny, especially when Leorio and Hanzo ganged up to make cheat sheets and Pokkle jumped them in frustration.

It was a lot like the old anime, but even better. Having front row seats were just the best.

So now we stood in a messy line that curved as we faced the chairman. Behind Chairman Netero was the whiteboard that would tell us who we faced, its contents blocked from our sight by a big white cloth. To the right of us was what I assumed were the referees, all dressed in black like in the anime. To the left were the other proctors.

The applicants that were fooled into believing that this phase was going to be a written exam (Leorio, Hanzo and Pokkle) stared at the chairman anxious. The others that believed that there was a possibility of the Final Phase being a written exam yet strongly believed that it wouldn't be, stood less stiffly and were just waiting patiently. Then there were the ones who were a hundred percent sure this wasn't going to be a written exam (Hisoka, Gittarakur and I), who were just smiling. Or I think that Gittarakur was smiling - at least it looked like he was.

"The Final Phase of the Hunter Exam will be a one on one tournament," Chairman Netero announced.

Leorio, Hanzo and Pokkle deflated, aghast at the news.

Gon and Bodoro let out a relieved breath.

Kurapika and Gittarakur didn't bat an eye.

If you looked hard enough, there was relief in Killua's eyes.

Hisoka just smirked wider.

I tried not to outright laugh.

"Wait, what did you say?!" Leorio questioned.

Pokkle was still processing the information. "T... tournament?"

"I thought the Final Phase was going to be a written exam!" Hanzo yelled.

"Written? Who told you a lie like that?" the chairman asked.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. My mouth opened wide and I barked in laughter, the sound echoing in the large room. Most heads turned towards me, either looking at me as if I was insane or I had just done the most despicable thing ever. I ignored them, however. Doubling over, I clutched my stomach in pain as my sides began to ache.

Oh god, who would have thought that they'd actually fall for it? I didn't think anyone would be stupid enough! But they actually fell for it, they actually believed me! This was so hilarious! I... I couldn't stop laughing. It was just too much. I fell to the floor, unable to hold myself up anymore and I continued to laugh. Tears prickled at my eyes and I swear my sides were ready to burst at my spasm. But I couldn't stop.

"Why you little...!" Leorio muttered angrily.

I felt two fingers poking me lightly, but I didn't look up. I just couldn't stop and I now was slapping the stone floor hard with my hand, despite the jolt of pain it brought to my hand. I swear I looked like a retarded seal at the moment.

"Umm... Is she gonna be okay?" Gon asked, sounding worried.

"I don't know," Killua replied awkwardly.

More poking.

"Hey, hey. You okay?" Killua questioned.

I wheezed, finally starting to calm.

"Damn it, it's not funny! Stop laughing!" Pokkle and Leorio yelled at the same time.

And the laughter was back.

Oh god I think I'm gonna faint from lack of oxygen!

* * *

I stood as far away from Leorio, Hanzo and Pokkle, being right beside Bodoro who was by Gittarakur. It didn't bother me though, seeing as the three looked ready to maim me on the spot for my little prank. But despite this, I totally felt it was worth it. My face was still tinged red from my earlier spasm and I'd only now had calmed my breath.

Now that everything had finally calmed, the chairman coughed into his hand and begun his long speech on the Final Phase. I tuned him out, already knowing everything I needed to and more. Just to keep myself from falling asleep, I thought back to the priceless expressions on the three's faces when they learned what the real phase was going to be.

And I began laughing again.

"Is there something funny with what I've said so far?" came the questioning voice of the chairman's.

I quickly composed myself and vigorously shook her head, trying to keep myself from snickering some more. "No, no! Nothing, just thinking about something. Please, go on. I won't interrupt you again," I quickly told him.

He sent me a stern look before doing just that.

I mentally sighed in relief. Deciding not to think about that memory anymore lest I go into a laughing fit again, I instead focused on the now exposed whiteboard. I hadn't really been paying attention earlier, as I was too busy trying to catch my breath and not faint from the lack of oxygen. I was curious as to the matchings for this fight and just how much had changed with my presence here.

The first side of it was left untouched. Hanzo and Gon would start, then the loser of that line would face against Pokkle, and the loser of that match against Killua, and the loser of that match against Illumi. It was the right that had the change.

The first match would be the same: Hisoka versus Kurapika. The loser of that match would go against Bodoro, meaning Hisoka. Bodoro would lose that match and I'd have to fight against him. Than the loser between our match would fight against Leorio, and that was how it went.

_I'm gonna be fighting against Bodoro, _I thought.

Somehow, I wasn't looking forward to that. I just knew this wasn't going to end well.

"We shall now begin the Final Phase of the exam." I barely caught the words. Snapping out of my thoughts, I tuned back in to the others.

We all cleared the area that would be used for fighting, all but one of the men in black who would be judging the first match. As I stood in front of right wall, I suddenly grew nervous while I watched the two fighters preparing themselves. I hadn't wanted to think of what was going to happen in the matches, but now that they were starting I couldn't get it out of my mind. I shuddered, already feeling sick, and it hadn't even begun!

I really didn't want to stay here and watch the fights.

"The first match will be Hanzo versus Gon. Will the two fighters please step forward."

Almost immediately the two stepped up and walked to the center of the room. I watched them go solemnly, almost wishing I could stop them.

This fight was going to be nothing but bloody, and I dreaded it.

* * *

_Sorry it took so long, but school has been mean and I been trying to update my other stories. I'll try to be better._

_As always, I'd like to give thanks to Haruka Kimura, 5O5AAAAAA, CursedXQueenXDoll, jonica77, iluvfairytale, Isella of the wolf tribe, Detective S.C. Holmes , QuirkyFox and ultima-owner for reviewing the last chapter. You guys are just the best! Here, have another cookie. And yes, CursedXQueenXDoll, you can have one too.  
_

_*Hands out cookies to all the reviewers*_

_Just before you leave this page, please leave a review. I love feedback._

_Please?_

_I'll give more cookies if you review!_

_~Review~_


	10. The Horror of Fights

_Just have to say this. Happy one day early birthday to me! In thanks of reading my stories, I give this chapter to you! On a side note, anyone notice that I have **exactly** **44 **favorites and **53 **follows? Those are Hisoka's and Pokkle's numbers respectfully!_

**_Warning:_ **_Has not been edited, so it's just gotta be filled with mistakes. It's not a humorous or action-packed chapter. Might not make sense or the characters become OOC. That is all._

* * *

Watching Gon's fight was a nightmare.

Three hours.

_Three freaking hours._

That was how long the match took.

I sat curled up against the wall, the others far too occupied with the match to notice my shaken form. With each hit Gon took I flinched and whimpered. My hands were pressed against my ears, squeezing to the point of it being painful, yet no matter how hard I pressed, the sounds of the fight would still filter in. I was so desperate to make it all stop, that I tried to preoccupy my mind with random thoughts and even contemplated hurting myself.

_Slap!_

My body shivered once more and I moaned as I shook my head to get rid of the noise. My eyes were shut as tight as they could be, yet I could still clearly see Gon. Red, so much red. It cascaded his body, flowing to the floor in rivers. Rich and creamy, the crying of the wounds shedding tears of red. He was a fountain and the blood the water. It just gushed out, despite it being far from possible.

But it did.

His swollen face, his cut lips, his blackened eyes, and his arms. Everything, from the luscious green of his clothes to the black of his hair and to the tan of his skin. Slowly, it all turned red.

He was bathed in red. All, all red.

Everywhere.

For what felt like the hundredth time since the match had begun, I felt the contents of my stomach quickly snaking up my throat and to my mouth. My hands refused to move from my ears, in fear that letting them go would increase the volume of the noises, and I was forced to swallow it back down. Fear nibbled at my heart and horror churned my stomach unpleasantly. Why couldn't this just stop?

**_Look at him, he's still not giving up. He's gonna die. Soon, so soon. Just a little more._**

I viciously shook my head of the thoughts. _No, he's not gonna die. He'll live, just like in the anime and manga. He'll be fine!_

**_But this isn't the anime or manga. This is real. All so real. He'll die, die, die~_**

_No! It's not. He won't. It's just, _I sniffed, trying hard to reign in my sobs, _it's not real! He'll be fine!_

**_How can you be sure?_**

I slammed the back of my head into the stone wall that was pressed against my back, ignoring the hissing pain that came with the action. I wouldn't think such thoughts. I wouldn't even consider them. Gon would be fine, he will! Nothing will happen to him. He'll live, just like in the anime. This was all just some creepy dream I was having and once I've woken up, everything would be back to normal. It would all go back to normal.

...right?

I whimpered once more. If my body wasn't so frozen in place, I would have run out the doors long ago. The three hours were pure torture; a living hell. I just wanted it all to stop, to go away. The images, the sounds, the voices in my head. I just wanted it all to stop. Why was Gon so freaking stubborn? Why couldn't he give up already? This was torturous!

Just give up. Just give up, I chanted the words in my head. The red, oh the sickening red, why wouldn't it just go away? All I could see was Gon's gory body, filled with gashes and wounds that wailed in despair. Just give up!

...and then the sickening snap of Gon's arm breaking slammed into my eardrums.

My eyes snapped open and for the briefest of seconds, my hands loosened their hold on my ears, leaving them completely uncovered.

My forest green eyes met with Gon's shocked bourbon brown ones, and Gon's scream of utter agony filled my ears not a second later. My mind whirled and everything began to spin. All I could hear was the crunch over and over and over and over again. I gripped at my ears, but it didn't diminish the sound. It was haunting, and the deep rich red only intensified.

My eyes shut and everything went dark.

* * *

I didn't know how much time had passed, but to me it only felt like a second. Something shook my shoulders viciously and I was forced to gain consciousness once more. My eyes fluttered open and I blinked furiously, the light of the room stinging at my eyes and the bleary vision allowing me barely any access to sight. I pulled myself to a sitting position and gripped at my forehead, my free hand pressed against the cool stone and stiffening to keep me steady as a wave of dizziness hit me like a tone of bricks.

_Ah... ouch, _I winced, rubbing my forehead. It felt as if I had been hit by a hammer in every inch of my head, the throbbing too intense for me to just simply ignore.

"Hiei... Hiei..."

I looked up with misty eyes, squinting to try and make out the figures in front of me. Dang it, why wouldn't my head stop buzzing? I swore I had bees flying inside my brain, poking it roughly with their stingers.

"Hiei, are you alright?"

That voice, it sounded suspiciously familiar.

I blinked a few times, my vision clearing and I was surprised to find Kurapika and Leorio kneeling in front of me, worry dancing in their eyes. That was strange, how did Kurapika and Leorio get in my room? Why did they look so real? Perhaps I was dreaming again, after all this wouldn't be the first time. Still, it was weird.

I hummed at them in acknowledgement, uttering no word. My mouth and throat burned as if I had gulped down acid and I didn't want to open my mouth.

"Why were you lying on the floor?"

Kurapika reached out to touch me, but I flinched back, pressing myself against the wall. I didn't know why I was moving away from his touch, and the weird feeling churning my stomach left me uncomfortable. For some reason I just felt that I didn't want anyone to touch me, whether they be a complete stranger or someone like Kurapika who I knew a lot about. It was strange and I tried pondering on it, but the mist in my mind made it hard to do so.

"Hold still and let me take a look at you," it was Leorio who said this.

I didn't move, eyes trained on the hand that neared my head. I felt like moving away from his touch, but I stopped myself. Though not like I could get away even if I wanted to, the wall blocked me from going back any further.

The tips of his digits rubbed against the side of my head and I couldn't help but give a small hiss. While he examined me I focused my attention on something other than him. Peeking past his shoulder, I looked around the rather large room. Gray walls, a door with intricate designs carved into it, smeared blood on the ground, the chairman, Killua, other applicants, even Menchi and Sato-

...wait. Blood?

_Blood._

_Red._

_So much red._

_Gon._

_A sickening crunch._

_...then black._

My eyes widened into gold balls and a gasp escaped my now-parted lips. I jerked from Leorio's hold and clutched at my head. Gon and all those cuts and bruises on him, surrounded in a pool of blood and more of the red liquid of life flowing from his body like mini waterfalls. And Hanzo, staring down at him, his eyes devoid of any mercy, so cold. And that sickening crunch!

It all came back to me.

I jolted to my feet, feeling my heart quicken and pound against my chest. My breaths became shorter and quicker, coming out in pants, and the familiar feeling of barf running up my throat caused my hands to fly to my mouth. I scurried to get out of here, out of this room. I didn't want to be here! I had to get away! This room was too suffocating.

A hand gripped at my wrist and I faintly heard the screams of others, but why they were screaming I didn't know. Nor did I care for that matter. All that mattered to me at the moment was getting away. The blood, all the blood, I had to get away from it. It was on Gon, on Hanzo, and it was on _me. _I couldn't take it anymore!

I jerked forward, but that irritating hold on my wrist stopped me from going any further. Everything in front of me was getting redder, so _so_ much redder. It was invading my vision, just like earlier, and it gripped at me with its suffocating hold. I screamed and furiously moved my hand, willing it to let go of me and let me run. But it wouldn't budge. If anything, the grip grew tighter, to the point of hurting me.

I only screamed louder. It was getting so much closer, just in front of me! Blood, so much blood, it spilt from him, like a geyser. Blood, there was so much blood, and I couldn't take it anymore. My breaths quickened and my legs shook as I struggled against the hold. I didn't want to be here anymore, I had to get away. Why wouldn't they let me get away?

Just let go of me!

.

.

.

It took a while to calm me down and in the end, the chairman ordered for me to be taken outside. It was obvious to everyone that staying in the fighting area was only making me worse, so Kurapika and Leorio escorted me outside and calm me down. It took a while, but they had succeeded. It was the soothing voice of Kurapika who uttered comforting words into my ear and the gentle ministrations of Leorio that brought me back to the real world.

It took me a little to calm my racing thoughts and compose myself. I was leaning against Leorio now with him and Kurapika conversing with each other. I didn't pay attention to them, too frazzled to be able to take in what they were saying.

Eventually Kurapika left back inside and Leorio told me that it was so he could watch the other matches and then tell us what happened. I didn't think much of that either. I was just happy that I was finally calm, and admittedly embarrassed of my earlier performance. Everyone probably thought of me as weird, and I didn't blame them. Freaking out like that, who wouldn't think of me as a freak?

"So," Leorio began, disrupting me from my thoughts, "mind telling me what was up with you?"

"It's a long story," I told him.

"And I'm all ears."

I didn't say anything back, not wanting to tell him at all.

"Come on, talking about it will make you feel better. If you're worried that I'll tell the others, you don't have to be. I can keep the secret," he promised.

I smiled despite myself. No matter what others may say, Leorio really was a sweet guy. He may be perverted at times, but he had a big heart. He was definitely kind and caring, despite his gruff exterior, and it was comforting to be around him, the most normal character out of the group of four. I could better relate to him than anyone else, and it made me feel like I could trust him enough to tell him.

I still didn't want to, though.

Only a few knew and I'd like to keep it that way.

But the reminder of my brother and how he took to my depression, it motivated me to tell Leorio. I didn't want to see anyone else I cared about so worried and stressed over me again.

Despite my wishes, I gave in. A defeated sigh escaped my lips and I looked up to stare at Leorio's face. "You really wanna hear?"

He grinned. "Yeah. Come on, it can't be that bad. I'll tell you what, if you tell me your story, I'll tell you mine. Sounds like a good exchange?"

My smile was back and I gave an approving hum. "Yeah, thanks."

"So what's up?" he asked.

The lips formed a straight line and I looked down at my lap. "When I was eight, I got into a car accident. My mother was driving my little brother and me from school and some drunk driver crashed into us. My mother ended up dying and I was seriously injured. Miraculously, my little brother was spared of any serious wounds, just a few bruises and cuts is all. I can still see it happening when I think about it. My little brother and I singing to a random song on the radio, my mother humming with us, then my mother's scream, followed by a car hitting my mother's side, her shielding my little brother, blood, pain, more screaming, and then it all went black."

I shut my eyes and leaned closer to Leorio. For a second I was back in the car, in the back seat, singing with my little brother along to the music on the radio. Then the car came and everything slowed. I saw my mother wrapping her arms protectively over my little brother just as the car hit her side. The windows broke and shards of glass flew everywhere, along with other parts of the car. A searing pain throughout my body and all the blood, just so much blood. And then I was out.

I shuddered at the memory and gripped tightly to Leorio's sleeve. My heart raced and I felt myself losing breath. The scene repeated itself in my mind and I struggled to not let it overtake me. It was the comforting squeeze to my shoulder that brought me back.

My eyes fluttered open and I whimpered. I wanted to forget it, to forget the accident ever happened. But no matter how much I willed for the memory to go away, it'd always come back and take me whole. And just when I had thought I'd finally been able to escape it. I was so stupid.

"After the accident I couldn't handle the sight of blood or cuts or anything that related to violence. I ended up falling into depression and it took me a long time before I was finally able to get better. I couldn't go anywhere by car or any other transportation because I'd always remember the accident and I'd panic. It took my grandmother and my little brother a while to return me to normal, or as normal as I can get. I still can't look at a car and not feel fear. Only when I have my grandmother or my little brother with me that I feel just a little bit assured. They usually know what to do when I'm like this and they can help me, and that's why I try not to go too far or too long away from them."

"Then why are you taking the Hunter Exam?" Leorio questioned. "If you can't handle being so far away from them, why take the exam? You should've known that you'd be away from them for a long time."

_It's not like I wanted to take the stupid Hunter Exam, _I thought bitterly.

If I had a choice in it, I wouldn't be here. I may have dreamt of being in the Hunter x Hunter world, but it never went like this or even for this long. It was pretty much just happy dreams of the world, not this nightmare. I still didn't understand why it had lasted this long; why I wasn't back home in my bed and in my room. Why couldn't I escape from here? But I was scared of thinking about it.

Because if I think about it, I'll want to get the answer.

And to get the answer, I'll search for it.

And when I finally find my answer, I may not like it.

I was a coward who ran away from my problems. I never tried to face them, and instead turned my back to it all. And I was alright with that, because it meant I could escape from it all, even if for a short period of time. Even now, I was okay with just running away, because I wouldn't have to deal with the problem.

I moaned pathetically. "I didn't want to go away from them. I thought by taking the exam I could finally get rid of this stupid fear. I didn't want to run away anymore, and so I forced myself to go through with it. Because I wanted everyone to stop worrying about me." I didn't know where the words came from, but they just poured out of my mouth. They were just an excuse I came up with on the spot, but somehow the words felt like the truth. As if this really was my wish.

I briefly wondered about it, but then I pushed it away. I wouldn't think about it. I wouldn't think about the strange feeling in my chest. I wouldn't think about the memories that still haunted me. I wouldn't think about why I was still in this world. I wouldn't think about my words. I wouldn't think about anything that could possibly upset me. I didn't want to think about any of it.

None of it.

"So you took the exam to prove yourself?"

It was an honest question, and one that I just couldn't answer.

But I guess he took my silence as answer enough, because he continued talking. "I guess I can understand that. Just by looking at you, I wouldn't have guessed this happened to you. You just look so happy."

I snorted unconsciously. "I try."

He didn't say anything to that. "We're pretty similar," he continued.

"How so?" I blinked, genuinely confused.

He smiled grimly, his eyes distant in memory. "When I was younger, I had this best friend name Petro. We were tied to the hip, pretty much brothers. But he became ill. It was easily treatable, but neither of us had anywhere near the money required for the treatment. So he died and I was left alone and filled with guilt. So see, we are pretty similar. Both of us had someone close to us die."

I returned his smile with my own strained one. "I guess we are." After a moment, I asked, "So is that your reason for becoming a Hunter? Because your friend died?"

"No, but my friend's death is a great influence in my decision. I want to become a doctor one day, so that I can treat others with illnesses. Even if they're poor, I want to be able to tell them that it's alright and I'd still treat them, no cost. For those that can't help themselves, I want to help them. But to become a doctor, I need lots of money. So that's why I'm trying to become a Hunter, because with a Hunter License, I wouldn't have to pay the ridiculous cost of medical school."

This time I smiled genuinely. "I'm sure you'll become a great doctor, Leorio. You have my support," I told him.

"Thanks squirt. And if it makes you feel any better, I think you're alright," he said.

* * *

It wasn't long after that Kurapika came back outside and informed us that it was my turn to fight. Hearing those words, I was ready to bolt out of there. There was no way that I would fight. I didn't even want to go back into the room what with my little episode in there. Seeing all those pairs of eyes staring at me so intently, I shivered in fear.

But Leorio reassured me that everything would me fine. He was the one who convinced me to go back there, saying that if I start feeling back that he'd be there to help me; told me that if I wasn't up to it, I could just forfeit my matches and I wouldn't have to fight. Hearing that, I was a little more willing to go in, but that still didn't mean I wanted to.

And as I had thought, everyone stared at me as soon as we entered the room. I could tell that some were worried for me, others no doubt thought I was pathetic, and then there were those that just stared all for the sake of staring. I whimpered and leaned closer towards Leorio, using him as my anchor to stay.

"It'll be alright," he whispered to me.

I nodded, completely unconvinced.

I detached myself from his side with great reluctance and walked to the middle of the room. Bodoro followed, and he looked like he'd rather fight anyone but me. The referee introduced himself but I paid him no attention. I just stared passed Bodoro, my gaze settled on anything it could catch behind his head. I was standing on the same spot Gon was beaten up on and that thought plagued my mind. All I wanted to do was bolt from the room and get as far away from it, but I couldn't. So I stood, fidgeting in place, trying hard to concentrate on the fight and not show my anxiety.

"The match between Bodoro and Hiei will now commence. Begin!"

I opened my mouth to forfeit but he surprised me.

"I give up!"

.

.

.

I stared, shocked that Bodoro had given up without even trying. I tried to think up of a reason as to why he would do that, but I just couldn't think. My mind had frozen. All I knew was that he had given up and I won. Which mean that I wouldn't have to fight anymore.

_I don't have to fight anymore, _the thought echoed in my mind.

Relief filled me like a balloon and I slumped to the floor, sighing and a hand pressed my chest. Only now did I notice the rapid beating of my heart and the pressure that was being released. I didn't have to fight anymore, all thanks to Bodoro. It was a delayed reaction, but I was beyond happy at the moment that I wouldn't have to fight. That I wouldn't have stand on the same that Gon was beaten half to death on.

_...beaten half to death on._

I immediately stood and took a few steps back on shaky legs. Again the image of Gon and his injured form flashed in my mind and I shuddered at all the red. Leorio and Kurapika were immediately at my side and they guided me back to the sidelines.

"Easy now, just breath," Leorio instructed.

I nodded weakly and forced myself to calm, which was much harder than it sounded. With both Leorio and Kurapika beside me and helping me, it was a little easier than last time. Longer than I wanted, but sooner than I thought, I was finally able to compose myself. After that I stayed glued to Leorio's side once more and I didn't dare move even a fraction away from him.

"Think you'll be up to watching Killua's and my matches?" Leorio questioned gently.

I wanted to say no so badly. No really, I was just ready to yell out no and screw it, and just get out of here and back outside. But I couldn't. Looking to Killua and then to Leorio, I felt like I had to stay here and watch the fights. Not because it was 'fate' that I stay here or some other stupid thing like that, but because I felt like I owed it to them to stay here and cheer them on.

But I so wanted to say no.

"I... I think I'll be fine," I finally said.

"You don't have to push yourself, you know," he told me.

"Yes," Kurapika piped in, "I'll gladly take you outside and stay with you until the fights are all done. You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

I nodded my head. "I know. But I want to be here and cheer you and Killua on." Looking up at Leorio and Kurapika, I smiled in what I hoped was reassuring, when actually it looked more like a grimace than anything. "I'll be fine."

They didn't look convinced, and I wasn't surprised. If I were to be honest, I wanted them to protest some more and convince me not to stay here. But alas, things were always against me. They both complied much to me displeasure and didn't say anything more.

I almost sighed. Almost.

I turned away from them and instead focused my attention on Killua, who was still staring at me. Whether he was curious, interested, worried, or anything else, I didn't know. He just had a blank face on which was extremely hard for me to read. Impossible even. Somehow I was glad, probably because there was now no guarantee that he hated me or thought of me as a freak since I couldn't tell.

"The next fighters please step forward."

Killua broke the eye contact and walk off, with his opponent- oh god was that Illumi following behind him? Oh yeah, nice. Well now I knew why I was so nervous about this match. I definitely didn't want to be in the room now. This was just going to get downright depressing, and then there was still Bodoro's death to come. I did a mixture of a wince and a cringe.

"The match between Killua and Gittarackur will now commence."

I immediately stepped closer to Leorio, practically clinging to him. I could feel his worried gaze on the top of my head, but I didn't look up. Silently, I debated with myself whether curl up on the floor and block everything out like I had tried to do with Gon's match, or just run out the doors. I knew what was going to happen and I didn't want to see any of it. None.

Unfortunately my legs betrayed me, refusing to move. I mentally cursed the stupid things for not working when I desperately needed them to. Some otherworldly being must really have it out for me to torture me this much, I was positive now. I really must've kicked waaaay too many puppies in my previous life.

"Begin!"

* * *

_I don't know how well I did this chapter. I had to do a little research to make sure I was as accurate as I could be. Now I don't have PTSD, so I only have a small idea of how it's like. If I totally messed up, feel free to shoot me. I tried at least!_

_For Lyrica's background, I wanted her to have something bad happen to her so it's easier for her to fit in with the other four. However, I didn't want anything cliché liked 'she got raped by 54 guys' or 'she got severely beaten everyday!' or even 'everybody hated her and was always out to get her!' Not even any combination of the four. So I chose something less used. A car accident! It's really not that rare for it to happen in the real world and I would think it'd be traumatic to go through. I know I'd be scarred after that. Car accidents aren't pretty._

_Again, I apologize if I messed up. I can only say I tried._

_As always I'd like to give special thanks to: MademoiselleCreatrix, Lavendor Queen, iluvfairytale, Idol-Sequence, Guest, QuirkyFox, ultima-owner, and Isella of the wolf tribe for reviewing the last chapter! Here's another cookie for you guys, because you're all just so awesome! And yours isn't a chocolate chip one so don't worry, Isella of the wolf tribe! A sugar cookie it is! *hands out cookies*_

_Hmm, I wonder if I should give out muffins instead? What do you guys think?_

_~Review~_


	11. She Snaps

_Thank you jonica77 for the birthday greeting, it made me happy. I'll apologize now if the chapter's stupid or boring. I don't really like this chapter at all, honestly. But I have to get it out of the way. Also, anyone notice I got a cover for this story? I drew it myself :D I'd also changed the summary as the other one wasn't all too interesting._

_**Previous summary:** Waking up in the Hunter x Hunter world and not knowing how she got there, Lyrica came to the conclusion that it was all just a dream. So taking on one of her favorite characters name and hanging out with the gang, Lyrica finds herself having a blast. But she'll soon realize that this is anything but a dream. OC story. Rated T to be safe. R&amp;R!_

_**Current summary:** Lyrica had always known, but now she was positive. Life hated her. Why else would she be dumped in the Hunter x Hunter world with only her cellphone and a backpack that held nothing to help her in this world of terror? But she guessed it wasn't all bad. She did get to meet her favorite characters in this world, after all. KilluaxOC. Rated T to be safe._

**_Warning:_ **_Has not been edited, so it's just gotta be filled with mistakes. It's not a humorous or action-packed chapter. Might not make sense or the characters become OOC. That is all._

* * *

**Kurapika's POV**

A knock sounded on the door, echoing throughout the quiet hallway. Kurapika stood outside the room, his hand still raised in midair, patiently waiting for the person he wished to meet to answer.

Ever since the end of the Hunter Exam Hiei had locked herself in her room and refused to come out. No matter how much he or Leorio tried to coax her out of the room, she would continuously refuse. Whether it be for meals or to see her friends, she was stubborn in not stepping a foot out of her room. He doubted she had even moved from wherever she had positioned herself.

While it had only been a day that she had locked herself in her room, Kurapika greatly worried that she might not get any better. It was obvious the girl was depressed, though the cause of it was still up for debate. Kurapika still questioned whether it was because of Killua being disqualified and immediately running away, or because Killua had killed the old man that went by Bodoro. He had the sinking suspicion that it was both, yet at the same time felt that it was much more than that.

"Hiei, are you in there? Please say something, we're all worried about you," he said loud enough for her to hear.

He hoped.

Kurapika sighed when once more Hiei didn't answer. He should have figured. Still, he had been hoping that she'd open up to him by now. He knew that she should be left alone, after all he had felt similarly before in the past. He understood how difficult this must be for her and any time to herself for thinking would be greatly appreciated.

Still, he worried.

_I doubt she knows how to deal with this, _he thought.

She was still young and had yet to experience much. Actually, he didn't doubt this to be her first time as a witness to murder. It didn't help that the murderer was a friend of hers. That just made it a whole lot worse. Kurpika had to wonder just how well she would be able to deal with this considering even he himself was having a trouble taking in all that had happened. He wouldn't be surprised if it took her more than a few months to get back to normal.

_Though I hope it doesn't actually take that long. _His eyes narrowed at the door, his hand still up and poised to knock once more. Perhaps he should use a little force to get to her?

He viciously shook his head, immediately throwing the thought out the window before he could ponder on it. No, he wouldn't do that. He couldn't do that. If he did, it'd only make things worse. The last thing they needed was to make her even more upset than she already was.

"Look at me, I'm beginning to think like Leorio," he muttered, clutching at his forehead.

The blond sighed and looked back up at the door. His hand poised to knock once more, hesitant whether to continue bothering her or just leave her alone. _I probably should leave her alone._

"Hiei, a meeting's going to be held in half an hour to discuss Killua's disqualifications. I would like it if you could attend and help us out to get the chairman to rethink his decision to disqualify Killua," Kurapika tried a different approach.

It might not be the best thing for her to hear at the moment, but he was hoping for some reaction from the girl.

But as he predicted, she did not answer.

Kurapika backed from the door, his hand falling limp at his side. "I'll be going then..." Deciding that there was nothing more he could do at the moment, he turned on his heels and left in defeat.

* * *

**Lyrica's POV**

I sat curled into myself, a thin blanket wrapped around me and the clothes I had worn a day ago still on my person. I was currently in the bathroom, inside the tub, with a pillow cushioning my head. Now why was I in here? Because when I'm like this, this is my favorite place to be. I don't know why, but I have always found it comforting to be in. So ever since the exam ended I had locked myself in here and refused to move.

It was dark in the room, making it impossible for me to see. But I didn't mind it. The doors were locked, blocking passage to anyone wishing to enter my room. I didn't want to talk to anyone, let alone see anymore. I didn't dare take a step out this room.

The fight had gone just as I predicted it would.

Depressingly.

Watching Illumi reveal himself to Killua was disgusting, in all honesty. I'd seen it before in the manga and anime, but it was nothing like this. Then watching him mentally traumatize Killua was just sickening. His words, his actions, his expressions - I had to wonder whether Illumi really cared for Killua or not. From what I saw, it looked like he didn't even care that he was hurting Killua. As if Killua didn't matter to him at all, only his body and his talent did.

It was just like Killua had said, they only saw him as a perfect assassin.

I couldn't stand it.

No matter how much I annoyed my little brother, I knew for a fact that he'd never purposely torment me like Illumi had done. Ad then he had the nerve to make Killua kill even after he said he didn't want to! Who would do something so awful?

But that wasn't the actual reason why I locked myself in this room. A fraction of the reason, but not the one that bothered me the most.

The match between Illumi and Killua was hard enough on my already horrified form, the killing of Bodoro was even worse. But I could live with that, because I had seen it happen before and knew what would come after this. While Bodoro was dead for good, Killua wouldn't forever be stuck with that suffocating family of his. Gon would come for him and the two would then go on a big adventure away from Killua's family.

What really upset me though, was that I was still. Stuck. Here.

In this nightmare.

With no way out.

Forever to live through the horrors this world brought.

Now originally I had thought that I was just dreaming and I'd wake up once I went to sleep here. When that didn't happen, I thought perhaps it would just take a bit. But I was still here. Refusing to believe this might actually be real, I forced myself to believe I'd finally wake up when the Hunter Exam ended and be back on my nice soft bed in my room.

That didn't happen.

Now I couldn't hide anymore from the truth. I couldn't continue to refuse this reality anymore, because I knew now. I know.

...This was not a dream.

I don't know how I got here or why I was even here in the first place. I had no clues as to how to get back to my actual world either. All I knew was that this was real and I was stuck here for who knows how long. Forever maybe. And that was what made it worse.

What made me finally crack and break into pieces.

I couldn't take it.

* * *

**Kurapika's POV**

The doors to the meeting room creaked open and in stepped Kurapika. He took a quick sweep of the room before his eyes landed on the familiar browns of Leorio. He walked down the stairs and took a seat one row up from Leorio, in front of him. There were still a few passing examinees that had yet to arrive, though he wasn't surprised. There were still a few minutes until the meeting began.

"How's Hiei doing?" Leorio aksed.

Kurapika shook his head negative. "I'm afraid she still has yet to come out of her room. I tried talking with her, but she wouldn't answer me. At this point it's hard to tell how she'll lock herself in the room."

"Should we force our way into the room?" he inquired with a frown.

"No," Kurapika said, "it'll only make things worse. If anything, it'll upset her even more and right now it would be best to avoid that."

"But she can't stay in there forever!"

"I know," Kurapika responded. "I'd give her a couple more hours. If she's not out by then, I'll try and talk to her again. While I don't want to use force, it might come to that if she doesn't come out, I'm afraid. It might be our only option as she can't stay here forever. We'll have to leave soon, after all."

Leorio sighed in exasperation, raking his hair back with a hand. "Damn," he cursed. "Gon's out like a light from his match with Hanzo and Hiei's locked herself in her room. Not to mention Killua got disqualified and is who-knows-where! This can't get any worse!"

"I wouldn't say that if I were you, Leorio. You might jinx it," Kurapika reproached.

The other male just groaned.

The door squeaked open and the two turned to see who else had appeared. Their eyes widened and mouths dropped in shock and disbelief at the figure at the door.

"Hiei..." Kurapika trailed off, unable to finish his sentence at the look in the girl's eyes.

Hiei shut the door behind her and made her way to the closest row to her, sitting far in the back away from everyone else. She was slacked, her eyes void of any emotion and the atmosphere around her practically oozing her depression. It was actually sickening and the two couldn't refrain from wincing at her state. She just looked so dead; so lifeless. As if all the life had been sucked out of her.

Kurapika and Leorio exchanged a worried look.

* * *

**Lyrica's POV**

I sat at the furthest row from everyone, just staring at the board hanging at the opposite wall. My eyes were unseeing, my ears not hearing, and my mind without thoughts. I don't know what it was that made me come out of the room, and perhaps I didn't even have a reason as to why I came out. I just did.

Throughout the whole meeting I sat quietly and to myself, in my own little world. Nothing mattered to me, no one mattered to me. My 'friends' were in the room, but I didn't see them. The chairman and the others were saying things, but I didn't hear any of it. I was just in a sort of daze. Only I existed, drowning in the pool of darkness, far from reality.

I was just... alone.

Empty.

A cracked shell with nothing inside.

Void.

Nothing.

I stared at the clock hanging behind the chairman's head, watching the seconds slowly tick by. _Tick, tick, tick, tick. _It beat in a rhythm, almost hypnotically. I faintly wondered when this meeting would end and I could go back to my room and hide in my bathroom. I missed the bathroom. Sweet, sweet bathroom. I didn't even care about this stupid meeting.

Then Gon walked in.

He marched down the stairs with an unnerving expression on his face and stopped at Illumi's row, right beside him. I just stared at the scene, my cheek resting on my hand. At least it stopped the long boring debate, I told myself. Hopefully this meant that I'd be able to go back to my room soon. I didn't like it here.

"Apologize to Killua!" Gon demanded.

Illumi just stared at him.

My brow twitched.

"Apologize for what?" Illumi finally said in monotone.

"You don't know what you did wrong?" Gon questioned.

"Nope."

My brow twitched again.

"You don't have the right to be his brother," Gon said.

"Must I earn the right to be his brother?" Illumi honestly sounded confused.

My eyes narrowed onto his person and my fingers curled into my palm. _I don't care, _I reminded myself. I wouldn't get involved in this. This was all up to Gon, I wouldn't interfere. I wouldn't even think about it.

I couldn't see Gon's face but I knew he was furious. He grabbed Illumi's wrist and flipped him over his head, surprising many in the room. Of course, Illumi was barely affected and easily got over his surprise, straightening himself and landing with barely a sound.

Just like in the anime.

From my spot in the far back I could barely make out the glare on Gon's face from this position. I had watched this scene so many times that I could predict his next words. "He doesn't have to earn the right to be my friend either!" he yelled. I could almost hear the small crack of Illumi's wrist as Gon tightened his grip.

Of course, Illumi barely made a reaction to that either.

"Don't bother apologizing," Gon finally said, moving so that he fully faced Illumi. "Just take me to Killua."

"What are you planning to do then?" Illumi questioned.

"That should be obvious! I'm gonna rescue Killua," he stated.

I could have sworn I heard Illumi scoff. "You make it sound as though I kidnapped him. He walked out on his own."

"But it wasn't by choice. He was manipulated by you guys, it's the same as kidnapping!"

I leaned back in my seat, crossing my arms over my chest. My eyes shut and I took a deep breath. _I don't care about this. This doesn't involve me, _I kept telling myself. I wouldn't let this affect me. I wasn't even a part of this and I had no right to interfere. Besides, I already knew what was going to happen, I didn't have to worry. Everything would be fine, because Gon would make sure Killua was safe and happy. And Leorio and Kurapika would make sure that Gon was too.

The _tap! _of the chairman's wooden shoes hitting the stone floor brought my attention to him. I opened my eyes and stared down at the bottom of the room where the chairman now stood, arms clasped behind his back. The others' attention was turned to him as well and the room grew silent._  
_

"We were discussing this very subject before you came, Gon," the chairman stated. "Kurapika and Leorio have both lodged complaints. The committee has been discussing the fairness of Killua's disqualification."

Kurapika immediately stood up. "Killua had been behaving in a strange manner during and since his battle with the man who called himself Gittarackur! I believe he was hypnotized into committing murder. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible to use hypnosis to induce a person to kill. However, as Killua was raised in a family of assassins, murder was a part of his daily life, so it's natural that he would lack the ethical restraint of most!"

Leorio stood as well to put in his two cents. "I want to mention that the attack happened during the match between Bodoro and me. It's possible that he was trying to help me. Given that, the one who should be disqualified is me."

"In any case," Kurapika continued, "Killua was not in control of his own actions. Thus, he should not have been disqualified!"

"That is mere speculation. There is no proof."

My brow twitched once more.

The chairman turned and made his way back behind the large desk, his shoes clanking against the hard stone floor. "There were no clear signs of manipulation. In fact, I would question the claim that he was hypnotized. I agree that the incident occurred after the battle between Leorio and Bodoro had begun. At that point, both fighters were evenly matched. Bodoro had more experience, but in terms of raw ability, Leorio was stronger. There was no need for Killua to interfere."

Once more my eye twitched. I bit on my lower lip, I wouldn't give in. I didn't care. I wasn't going to involve myself in this argument.

Pokkle stood up. "There was some other funny business happening." He looked over his shoulder at Kurapika, who stared back. "Like when you fought Hisoka. Back then, what did he say to you?" Pokkle fully turned and leaned against his desk, eyeing Kurapika intently. "Neither of you seemed particularly tired," he continued, "but Hisoka had whispered something in your ear right before conceding. That's pretty strange."

I frowned at the reminder of their fight. True, it did seem weird to anyone that didn't know what was actually said. However, I knew what really went on and knew that it wasn't something one could easily say to others.

"I'd understand surrendering after your opponent whispers something to you, as happened with Hanzo and me, or Bodoro and Hisoka. Because we were under considerable pressure. But in your case, the exact opposite happened. I have to wonder if you struck some sort of bargain. If you're going to question anything that seems odd, your victory was quite odd indeed," Pokkle said.

_You should really shut up, Pokkle,_ I thought. My teeth bit into my bottom lip and I forced myself to calm down. I wouldn't get involved. I didn't care.

"If you have nothing to hide, you should tell us what he said. Right now," he demanded.

"I have no obligation to tell you," Kurapika replied.

"Maybe not, but I believe you owe it to us," Pokkle persisted.

I didn't care. I didn't care. I didn't care, I told myself. I wasn't going to interfere, I had no right, nor the desire. I didn't care.

"Not really," Kurapika easily denied. "If you consider my victory to be odd, a victory by default would be equally odd."

_I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care. I don't care-_

"What?!" Pokkle yelled in fury.

"Hey, hey. I want to get this lecture over with so I can leave," Hanzo interfered, standing up.

"Hey now-"

"Shut up!" I yelled, slamming my hands on the desk in front of me and standing in one swift motion. The others were immediately staring at me, and I glared back at them. "I didn't come here to listen to your petty arguments. If you guys have problems, take it somewhere else. Particularly not in front of me!"

I shifted my glare to the chairman, clenching my fists against the desk as my teeth gritted in anger. "And you! What is wrong with you?! 'There is no proof.' 'There were no clear signs of manipulation.' Screw that! You know as well as I do there's plenty of proof that Illumi manipulated Killua into killing Bodoro and running away. All of you stupid proctors may ignore it as much as you like, but I know the truth! I know that it's possible and I know how Illumi did it.

"Illumi's a _Manipulator. _To him, manipulating someone, no matter who, into doing what he wants is as easy as it is breathing. Killua's completely unaware of Illumi's abilities and doesn't know how to fight back. No one in this room but you stupid proctors, Hisoka and Illumi himself know how to fight back! The fact that you're all ignoring these facts make me sick! So much for fair and square. You're all favoring Illumi just because he already knows _Nen_!"

I stomped to the door and slammed it behind me as I left, leaving them no time to respond. Honestly, they all make me sick!

* * *

**No one's POV**

Everyone watched as Hiei left, slamming the door behind her. The room was filled with silence that hung thickly in the air, no one sure of what to say after her little speech. Kurapika and Leorio exchanged looks of worry and Gon just stared at the door for a long moment with furrowed eyebrows. It was the first time he had seen Hiei since his match and it had only ended with her furious with everyone. He had hoped that he could talk with her after he got Illumi to tell him where Killua was, but it didn't look like he would for a while.

"Tsk," Hanzo was the one to break the silence. "All that yelling and she just leaves. Why bother trying to defend someone if you're just going to give up. And what did she mean by 'nen'?"

"The real question is what's wrong with you? She's obviously upset and you're not making the situation any better. At least show some respect!" Leorio yelled in annoyance.

"Look, it's like the chairman said, there's no actual proof. She talked about Illumi being a 'manipulator' and Killua not knowing how to 'defend', but what was there to defend himself from? I'd understand if Illumi attacked him, but he'd didn't. I didn't see Illumi do anything to Killua that would make him want to kill someone. To me, it looked like Killua killed Bodoro out of his own free will," Hanzo said. "It's obvious what happened. Can't you just drop it already?"

Leorio grit his teeth in anger and growled. "Why you little...!"

"Enough!" Gon yelled, fed up. Immediately everyone quieted. "None of that matters. It's pointless to argue whether someone should have passed. If you aren't happy about passing, keep working until your satisfied. If Killua takes the Hunter Exam, he'll definitely pass! It's unfortunate that he failed this time, but it is what it is."

He squeezed Illumi's wrist tighter, to the point of breaking it. "What does matter... If you've been forcing Killua to kill, against his will, all this time, I'll make you pay!"

"Make me pay?" Illumi repeated. "What will you do?"

"I won't do anything," Gon answered. "Once I've rescued Killua I'll make sure you have nothing to do with him!"

For a brief moment Illumi's eyes widened a fraction before narrowing back to normal. He stretched his hand out to Gon threateningly and immediately the boy jumped back and out of reach, recognizing the motion as the one Illumi had used on Killua. Gon stood and the two stared heatedly at each other.

"Ahem," Chairman Netero coughed into his hand, successfully gaining everyone's attention. "Is everyone finished? Gon is absolutely correct. You must decide for yourselves if you were worthy of passing. You may complain about the results all you want, but we will not be changing our minds. Killua has been disqualified, and the rest of you have passed the exam."

Those standing sat down at the words, knowing there was nothing more to argue about. The chairman nodded to Beans, who nodded back before stepping up. Immediately he began his speech on the Hunter License and the others listened.

* * *

**Lyrica's POV**

After my outburst I had gone straight to my room, too angry to stay in that room any longer. I just wanted to get away from them. To get away from it all. The chairman had made me beyond angry and the last thing I wanted was to let my feelings take control of me and make me do something stupid. So I stayed in my room all day.

It was a while before anyone came to my room. I glowered at hearing Gon Kurapika and Leorio outside my room. They were asking for me to come out and I covered my head with my pillow in hopes of drowning them out.

I didn't want to see them, let alone talk to them. I just wanted to be left alone.

But it didn't look like they were going to give up.

I growled in frustration.

"Hiei, there's going to be a party in about an hour for the passing examinees. Everyone's expected to come and it'd be nice if you would join as well. However, we'll understand if you'd rather stay in your room," Kurapika's voice filtered in through the door.

"What?" came Leorio's questioning voice.

I perked up. Party? I didn't remember there being a party in the newer anime. _Weird. _But I didn't think much of it. I wasn't planning on going. I didn't want to leave the room. The thought of seeing everyone, especially the chairman and the other proctors, left me bitter. I still couldn't forgive them for completely ignoring the idea of Illumi manipulating Killua. They knew about _Nen _and knew that Illumi could use it. The fact that he had activated his _Nen _during the match against Killua should've told them that at least something had happened.

But nooo, they didn't care. Illumi could use _Nen _so they let it be.

Stupid chairman playing favorites.

I reluctantly forced myself from my bed and walked over to the door. I knew that they wouldn't leave me alone until I answered. I just wanted them to stop bothering me. Couldn't they see I didn't want to see them? I scowled. "What?"

The three stood awkwardly at the door. Either they hadn't expected this or they didn't know what to say.

My scowl deepened.

"If you have something to say, say it. If not, I'm closing the door," I told them.

That seemed to snap them out of whatever daze they were in.

Kurapika spoke up first. "There's going to be a party soon for the passing examinees and we came here to inform you."

"We'd like it if you came," Gon piped in.

My brow twitched. Did they not see that I didn't want to come? That I wanted to be left alone?_No, calm down, _I told myself. I couldn't snap at them. They were just worried and came to check on me, I reminded myself. No need to be rude. I had to control myself. I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, closing my eyes as I forced myself to calm. _Take slow easy breaths. Relax, _I thought.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" I asked.

The three exchanged a look.

"Well," Leorio began, stretching the word. He rubbed at the back of his neck and looked away from me, awkward. "You seemed really upset earlier."

_You don't say. _I refrained from rolling my eyes.

"We wanted to check up on you and see if you were doing alright," Gon finished.

"We're all worried about you," Kurapika said.

My brow twitched once more. I sighed, releasing the tight hold I had on the doorknob. "Sorry," I finally said after a moment of silence. I looked up at the three. "Thanks for coming, I appreciate it. I didn't mean to get so angry earlier. I was just annoyed with everyone's fighting. The chairman's right, there was no proof. I was just making accusations."

I stepped forward and shut the door behind me. Before the three could say anything to me I pushed my way passed them and left down the hall, not giving them another glance. I could feel their stares on my back and I vehemently ignored it. I was annoyed-no, I was angry. Honestly, couldn't they just leave me alone? But I knew that if I stayed in that room, they'd continue to bug me. Because that was the kind of people they were. Protective, easily worried, loyal.

Sometimes I just couldn't stand it.

* * *

**No One's POV**

The three stared at her back once more, silent as they were rooted to their spots and unsure of what to do. It was Leorio who eventually broke the silence.

"I don't think she wants to talk to us," he stated the obvious.

Kurapika couldn't help but roll his eyes. "You think? This was why I was against coming to see her. It's obvious that she's still hurting from what has happened with Killua and everything else. To bother her now would make her even more upset. If anything, we've made her mood worse."

"...Do you think she hates us now?" Gon was crestfallen.

"No," Kurapika shook his head, "Perhaps a bit annoyed with us for pestering her, but I doubt she hates us. It's like I said, she just needs some time alone to think and get over whatever it is that's bothering her."

"I thought she was just upset about the chairman disqualifying Killua?" questioned Gon.

"I believe it's a little more complicated than that, Gon," the blond replied.

The two looked confused.

"Think about it, she gets panicked and queasy at the sight of blood, cannot stand violence, and had just watched a friend leave her. Not to mention that same friend also murdered someone right in front of her and probably didn't think anything of it."

"But Killua was forced to do it!" Gon protested.

"Yes, probably. But remember the chairman's words. There is no actual proof in it being true. For all we know, Killua could have done so of his own free will. Hiei, herself, had acknowledged this fact," Kurapika said.

Gon looked ready to yell at him.

"However," the blond continued, quickly stopping Gon from arguing with him, "I personally believe that Illumi was the one behind Killua's actions. The expression on Killua's face during and after the killing tells me that he was forced into doing it. But Hiei may not think so, and that may be where the problem lies."

Leorio let out a noise of understanding. "It makes sense."

"So you're saying that Hiei thinks Killua killed Bodoro-san on purpose and then left because he wanted to?" Gon didn't like that. It was obvious that Killua didn't want to and he didn't see how anyone would think Killua actually ran away because he wanted to.

"Maybe, but I can't be a hundred percent sure unless she tells me - Gon, where are you going?"

Gon gave Kurapika a brief glance. "If that's what Hiei believes than I'm gonna tell her what I think!"

"Wait, no-Gon!" Kurapika sighed when the boy didn't stop. Beside him, Leorio gave an exasperated groan and pulled at his hair.

"Damn it, does that kid never listen?!" Leorio yelled. "He's not actually gonna fight with Hiei, is he?"

"Come on, we should stop him. Who knows what'll happen if we don't." Kurapika left running after Gon, Leorio right behind him.

* * *

**Lyrica's POV**

"Hiei! Hiei! Wait up, Hiei!"

I stopped, midway to closing the door behind me, and turned back to see Gon running to me. The party for the passing examinees was just starting and everyone but the three boys were there. With Gon's shout came everyone's attention, all shifted to me. I tried not to scowl.

"Hiei," he breathed out.

Gon stopped in front of me and took a moment to catch his breath. By the state of him, I'd say he used his full speed to try and catch me. This made me apprehensive.

"Listen Hiei!"

I jumped when Gon suddenly gripped my shoulder with his free arm and leaned closer to me as he shook me, startled beyond words. His brows were pressed together and his eyes hard in something that I couldn't quiet understand. The serious expression on his face made me take a step back and gulp. His next words left me frozen.

"You can't hate Killua!"

.

.

.

"Eh?!"

Behind Gon both Kurapika and Leorio face vaulted in mid-run. Apparently, they weren't expecting this either.

Gon continued. "Killua didn't mean to kill Bodoro-san and run away, I'm sure of it! So you shouldn't hate him."

"Uh..." I was honestly speechless. Gon thought I hated Killua?

"In fact," Gon interrupted, "Killua would be very upset if you hated him. Because Killua likes you!"

"Uh..." Was it getting hot in here or was it just me? I swear my face was on fire.

"You like Killua too, right?"

"Uh..." I tried to take a step back.

"You don't hate him, right?"

He gripped my shoulder tighter, leaning closer to me. "Um..."

"You're not gonna stop being his friend, right?"

Dang it, why was he getting closer to me? My face was so hot at this point I swear I could fry an egg on it!

"Umm... I-I..."

He leaned in even closer.

"I-I-I-I-"

And even closer.

"I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-"

_Smack!_

Gon whined as he clutched at his sore head, a large comical bump parting his spiky hair in half. "Ow, that hurt~"

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Gon?!" Leorio screamed in his ear, an angry tick on his forehead.

"Huh, what did I do?" Gon questioned with a cute pout.

Leorio poked him in the forehead, harshly. "Do you even realize what you were saying to her? Or how she could have taken it?"

The poor preteen looked beyond lost. "What do you mean? All I said was that Hiei shouldn't hate Killua and that he liked her."

"Exactly!" Leorio yelled. "You made it sound as if Killua was in love with Hiei!"

"Eh?" Gon blinked owlishly and turned to Kurapika, who nodded with his eyes closed, then turned to me who I still was beet red from his earlier words. And it was _then_ that it dawned on him. "Oh..."

"Oh?!" the eldest of the group yelled, poking Gon harshly in the forehead again. "What do you mean 'oh...'?! Did you just now realize?"

"Leorio," Kurapika reproached, lightly slapping him on the back to make him back off.

Gon blinked a few times more, as if finally registering it fully, and then laughed sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean it like that."

"Geez," Leorio sighed in exasperation.

I quickly turned from the trio, my hands slapping over my mouth. The others regarded me curiously, but I ignored them. Or rather, was ignorant to their stares. My mind was a whirlpool of emotions. I just couldn't think straight anymore. I didn't know what to do, or what to think even. One minute I'm sad, the next angry, then I'm happy, and now I just feel like breaking down and crying.

Like really, what was up with me?

I didn't understand it at all. Was this even normal? I was so frustrated with the three. I was frustrated because they wouldn't leave me alone. Because they were nice to me. Because they were my friends. Because I cared about them. And also, because they made me want to smile whenever I was around them.

I hated this!

I really wished that they would just leave me alone, just stop bothering me! But at the same time I wanted to be around them, to bathe in the warm light that exuberated from them. It was just so frustrating! They were frustrating!

"Hiei are you... are you crying?" Gon questioned, stepping in front of me to peer at my face.

I sniffed and quickly wiped at my face, only now noticing my eyes prickling with tears. Immediately I turned away from him, not wanting him to see me in this pathetic state. "N-no, I'm not. I'm fine, really. I just... I just..." I couldn't finish the sentence.

Why did Gon have to be so sweet? Honestly, how could I stay frustrated with him if he only made me smile?

Before I was depressed, just defeated and pretty much ready to snap. But in just five minutes, Gon had gotten me to go through more than two emotions. First it was surprise, then dread, then confusion, then embarrassment, and now guilt. Only two other people could do that to me and that was my little brother and my grandmother. It was unnerving.

To think, Gon had almost as much influence on me as my little brother. That was awing. When had I started to think of him in such high regard? Think all of them in such high regard?

I couldn't believe it.

My knees shook and threatened to buckle underneath me. Before I could fall I felt an arm wrapping around my waist and I was pulled into a warm body, stopping me from my descend to the ground. The scent of pine invaded my nostrils and immediately I recognized it to be Gon. I wrapped my arms around his neck and sniffed, ignoring the tears that stained my cheeks.

"I'm sorry, I just... I didn't mean to... I mean... I'm sorry!" I apologized profusely.

He just rubbed my back soothing and I couldn't help but melt at the familiar gesture. Grandma would do the same thing whenever I felt sad or depressed.

"Sshh, it's okay. You don't have to apologize," he told me.

I shook my head in protest. "No, I'm sorry. I was being mean to you guys when you were just trying to help me. I just... I didn't know what to do. With you getting beaten up, then Killua and Illumi's match, what Illumi said to Killua, then Killua killing Mister Bodoro, and then... then..." I sniffed, letting out a sob.

"Then what?" he urged gently.

"I just... I just want to go home! I don't want to be here anymore! But I can't go home. I don't know how to. I don't even know if it's possible," I finally confessed. "I... what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to deal with this? I just don't know!"

And I just cried on Gon's shoulder with him silently rubbing my back in soothing circles. Everyone was staring at the two of us, but I was ignorant to it all. All I was aware of was that I was crying and Gon was comforting me, everything else didn't register in my mind. Eventually Gon took me to my room, as it was obvious I was in no partying mood. Kurapika and Leorio stayed behind, though at that time I didn't know why.

As Gon prepared to leave my room I stopped him, my hand lightly gripping the cuff of his sleeve. He waited patiently, giving me his full attention.

I blushed and looked down, too embarrassed to look him in the face. "C-can you," I timidly began, blushing even darker, "can you stay with me tonight?"

"Huh?"

I ducked my head, letting my bangs cover my eyes as my face practically glowed a lovely shade of red. "I... I don't want to be alone. Usually when I'm like this, my little brother keeps me company to make sure I'm fine. But he... I..." I trailed off, willing myself not to cry at the reminder that I couldn't see my little brother anymore. "Y-you don't have to stay all night, just until I fall asleep. Please?

"Sure!"

I blinked and blinked and blinked, shocked. Did I hear right? My head shot up and I stared at Gon with wide, shock-filled eyes. "Wha..."

Gon just smiled widely. "Sure, I don't mind."

"Just like that... You accept just like that?"

"Yup," he chirped.

I was honestly speechless.

Gon seemed to realize this, and he began to elaborate. "I know how you feel. I've never gone so long without Mito-san before and I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss her. Whenever I felt sad, Mito-san would always let me sleep with her. I'd always feel better when I was close to Mito-san, because I knew I wasn't alone and I had her. Right now you're sad and you don't want to be alone. That's why I said I don't mind staying with you tonight. Having someone there with you when you're sad helps you feel better, or at least that's what I think."

He grinned widely and I just stared at him, unable to form a sentence. Gon, he was just... just... I couldn't even find the words to describe him! I felt my eyes tear up once more and I buried my face in his stomach, my arms wrapping around his waist. Had I not been so engrossed in crying, perhaps I would have felt extremely embarrassed about the situation and my current state in front of Gon.

But I couldn't stop myself.

Gon, how was it that he knew how I felt? Knew what to do when even I didn't know? Why was he so kind to me, someone who he hasn't even known for a month? I didn't understand how he could be so sweet. He truly was amazing, that was all I could think.

"Th-thank you so much Gon," I stuttered out, nuzzling into his jacket. "Thank you."

* * *

_So this concludes the chapter. It was boring, I know. Anyone notice that I was switching povs? Originally I was going to do this whole chapter in just Lyrica's pov, but I thought it'd be more interesting if I had the others' as well. What did you guys think of it? I hope it wasn't that terrible. I'm awful at staying IC TT_TT_

_Once more I'd like to give thanks to: jonica77, Lavendor Queen and Isella of the wolf tribe for reviewing the last chapter. Only three reviewers, which kinda made me sad, but I'm glad that I at least got more than zero :)_

**_~Review~_**


	12. Everyone Needs a Hug

_Sorry it took so long but I kinda got a little writer's block._

**_Warning:_**_ Has not been edited, so it's just got to be filled with mistakes. Might not make sense or the characters appear OOC. May also contain spoilers._

* * *

I sat up in bed, brushing a hand through my black tresses as my heart banged against my chest in quick beats. My breaths came out in short pants and sweat caked my skin, dampening my hair and clothes. A brief flash of dizziness hit me and I gripped at my blanket, creasing it and using it to stabilize me. Only two days since the fights and I still had nightmares. Not surprising, really. But I had hoped I could have some peace in all this mess.

I sighed, loosening my hold on the blanket and letting my hand fall limp on my lap. Beside me, Gon shifted in his spot and mumbled in coherently in his sleep. I watched him with a bubbling of jealousy, wishing nothing more than to be able to sleep as peacefully as he did.

It just wasn't fair.

I pulled the blanket off me and stood, a chill passing through me as my foot made contact with the cool wooden floors. The room was quiet, with Gon's snores the only sound being made. Looking outside, I could tell it was still night. And a glance to my clock said that it would still be a few hours until everyone else would awaken too.

I stretched my hands above my head and arched my back, feeling the satisfying _pops! _of my back. My mouth forced wide open in a yawn and I used a hand to cover it. I was still tired, exhausted even. But I didn't feel like going to bed. Especially with Gon so close to me. I don't think I could take knowing he was sleeping soundly while my mind was plagued with nightmares.

I'd only grow jealous...er.

Walking over to the desk in the room, I pulled my green and black jacket off the chair and put it on. Immediately I felt warmer and I zipped my jacket up to hide the black strap shirt I wore underneath. I decided I'd go out and maybe do some exploring. Anything to get my mind off my dreams and my predicament.

I had done enough wallowing in despair. I needed to get back to normal.

* * *

Three hours passed since my awakening and I groaned for what felt like the hundredth time that day. Exploring the large building sounded fun at first, and I enjoyed walking alone for it was peaceful. Now, I was irritated.

For the seventh time in half an hour I passed by the same door that held the number '709' on it. I'd been going in circles and it was really starting to get on my nerves. Of all the things to happen, I just had to get lost in this big building, didn't I? Just my luck.

I sighed, gripping at my forehead. _Breath Lyrica. Calm yourself, no need to freak out. Heaven knows I've done enough of that already, _I told myself.

I moved to the wall and pressed my back to it, sliding down to the ground. My knees curled to my chest and I hugged them close, resting my chin on them. _So much for exploring this building. And here I thought I could start the day off without too much worry. _I stared up at the ceiling and hummed. Wonder if the others were awake by now._  
_

I had left my room around 4:50. Considering that I've been walking around aimlessly for three hours, and I knew this because there were a few clocks that I've passed by, it should be close to eight now. Some of the applicants should be awake about now. Though considering the party yesterday, I wouldn't be surprised if they all slept in.

"This day isn't going to get any better, is it?" I mused.

I had wanted some alone time to think to myself, and I had gotten it. Who would have thought it'd happen like this? I was more anxious than relaxed. And more bored. I had nothing to do and no one to talk to. The only thing that could entertain me was my thoughts. But thinking would do more harm than good.

I sighed again.

"If Vince was here, he'd tease me about getting lost."

Thoughts of my little brother invaded my mind and I whimpered. I really missed him and my grandma. Was I really never gonna be able to see them again? I was scared, honestly. I wanted to see them, but what if I couldn't? What if I remained here for the rest of my life? Sure I'd be able to stay with Gon and the others, but I didn't want that.

I mean I liked Gon, yes. But to have to go through the Chimera Ant arc with him? Beside him? Helping him? No way. I wanted nothing to do with the chimera ants. I knew for certain I'd only get killed being with Gon and Killua, and not to mention a nuisance to them. I was weak; pathetic. The only reason I passed the Hunter Exam was because of Gon and Killua and Kurapika and Leorio. Without them, I probably would've died on the first phase. How was I supposed to fight against the chimera ants?

"What am I gonna do?" I groaned and buried my face in my arms.

This was just impossible. How could anyone live this way?

"Someone sounds depressed~" came an all-too familiar voice.

My head jolted up, startled, and I stared wide-eyed at the owner of the voice. Hisoka strutted down the corridor, the usual smirk on his lips, and he raised a hand in greeting. My cheeks flushed at seeing him.

"Oh-ho~ What a surprise meeting you here~" he purred out, a soft chuckle escaping his lips.

The heat rose in my cheeks and I stood swiftly, much too eagerly. Depression forgotten for the meantime, a huge smile lit my face, showing my giddiness and nervousness over him. I squealed and jumped up and down in spot. Hisoka was talking to me! Hisoka was talking to me! How could I not be happy? He was freaking badass and one of the smexiest characters in this series.

I was immediately in fangirl mode.

He came to a halt a few feet away from me and seemed to waver slightly, apparently caught of guard by change in mood and I only squealed again. "Someone's happy to see me."

My grin threatened to split my face and I nodded my head vigorously, too giddy to care as to what I was doing at the moment. Stepping close to him, I continued to bounce in place in my excitement. "I... I can't believe it! It's really you, Hisoka! Oh my gosh, I can't believe this is happening. I'm actually talking to thee Hisoka! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh!"

I suddenly stopped, staring up at him as if I had just made the biggest discovery in the world.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Can I hug you?" My hands clasped under my chin and I gave him my best puppy-eyes. "Pleasepleasepleasepleaseplease? Pretty please with sugar on top and a siding of Gon? I'll love you forever!"

I opened my arms, grinning wide and waiting for him to give me permission. I had been waiting for this moment for a long time now, ever since I had first woken up in this world. At first I had been so concentrated on Gon and Killua that I put off talking with Hisoka. But he had come to me and there was no way I was going to miss this opportunity. I just loved Hisoka!

His smile fell and he blinked owlishly at me. I flinched, wavering in my confidence. Hisoka wouldn't deny me, would he? I wanted a hug. I needed it!

But then he surprised me.

"Sure, I'd love a hug~" he purred.

I gave a loud, fangirlish squeal and bounced to him, wrapping my arms around his waist. My face nuzzled his stomach and I sighed in content. "I can't believe I'm actually hugging Hisoka!" I muttered to myself, unable to keep my excitement at bay. This was just a happy, happy day.

He chuckled in what appeared amusement and I purred in response. Hisoka's voice was just so dreamy.

"What are you doing?" interrupted another voice.

I frowned and reluctantly pulled away from Hisoka, who didn't look disappointed, but didn't look quite happy either. Or maybe he was? It was so hard to tell with him. Looking around him, I glowered at who I saw.

Illumi.

"Hi, Illumi~" He raised a hand in greeting, his other still on my shoulder. "Come to join us?"

I glared heatedly at Illumi and he returned it with his own stoic look. We stared and stared at each other, neither willing to back down, our prides not letting us. Finally, I sighed and took a step back from Hisoka, who watched me curiously. "I really wanna, I do, but I know I shouldn't hate you. Even if you deserve it." And boy did he deserve the hate, seeing how he manipulated Killua. However, I believed in second chances and as much as I was reluctant to do so, I would forgive him. If I couldn't forgive him, then it meant that I couldn't forgive Meruem for everything he's done. And I liked Meruem. While he was just really evil at first, in the end he was a good guy.

But I was still angry at Illumi.

Though I also wanted a hug.

But at the same time I didn't.

Hmm...

"Can I hug you?" I asked, smiling up at him sweetly.

...

...

"...what?"

"Can I hug you," I repeated, this time slower so each syllable came out clearly.

"..."

I think I just took Illumi off guard. He wasn't answering, just staring.

Hisoka was staring as well.

I suddenly felt uncomfortable.

"No," he finally said.

I physically deflated. "Aww, please~ I'll love you forever too. I'll be your best friend! Wait, you don't believe in friends. Then, uh... Think of me as family! Yeah, family. Or just one of your fans. Please~ Pleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleasepleaseplease? With a strawberry on top and a delicious siding of Killua? Come on, you _love _Killua. Please?"

"No. Unless you're suicidal."

"Hisoka~" I whined, turning to the very amused magician. "Can you please make Illumi hug me? I'm sure you'd love to see Illumi actually hugging someone," I said suggestively. I put on a pout. "Come on~ He's your friend and probably the only one he listens to other than his family. Because, like, he knows that you're strong, probably stronger than him and that's why he doesn't want to mess with you. If you tell him to, I'm sure he'll listen! Please? Pleasepleaseplease?"

Hisoka chuckled that smexy chuckle of his and I couldn't help but melt. I always did love Daisuke Namikawa's voice.

"Hey, we can even group hug," I suggested. "I'm sure you'd love to hug Illumi, too. Right, Hisoka?"

"Indeed I would. What do you say, Illumi? Wanna group hug?"

...

...

...

Hisoka and I turned to stare at Illumi, only he wasn't there. Looking around, he wasn't anywhere in the hall.

"He ran away," Hisoka stated.

I pouted. Stupid party-pooper.

"Well, it's probably a good thing he left. You would have died if you continued insisting," Hisoka said after a moment.

I shrugged. "So let him kill me. I still wanted that hug. He's just too awesome for me not to give him one."

"Even though he hurt your little friend? Killua?"

I frowned. Thanks for reminding me, Hisoka. Just what I wanted to think about when trying to hug Illumi. But I quickly squished my anger. I had decided not to let things affect me anymore. Sooner or later I'll run into Gon and the two and I didn't want them to worry about me anymore. I had enough with causing them trouble. So I would act happy.

"I can forgive him for that. Just as long as he doesn't do it again. And anyway, Gon Kurapika and Leorio will help Killua and he won't have to stay with the Zoldycks anymore. So it's alright. Believe it or not, Illumi doing what he did might be beneficial for Killua."

"You know?"

"Call it a hunch," I told him, smiling secretly at him.

He quirked an eyebrow. "And you're not gonna help them?"

I looked away and shrugged. "If they want me to come, I'll come. But if they don't, I'll just do something else. I have faith in them to help Killua, and I'll probably just end up making things difficult for them if I come with them."

Although now that I thought about, I did want to go with them. If I couldn't be with my family, I wanted to at least be with one of them. I hated being alone, it was just too lonely. Traveling with them - especially with Gon, would keep be from being lonely and actually remind that I can't be depressed. Gon would make it hard for me to stay sad forever considering how cheery and optimistic he was.

"You're right about that. You're not much of a fighter. You'd only get in their way if you fought with them against the Zoldycks."

Ouch. I think I just got stabbed with knife in the chest. Those words hurt, more than I think he realizes. Or was he really trying to put me down?

"But then again, you seem to know about _Nen. _There must be something more to you than what I've seen so far," he said.

I choked. Me and my stupid mouth. I just had to blabber about _Nen, _didn't I? And in front of everyone, no less. I might as well have a sign over my head saying, "Hey guys, I know all about the Hunter x Hunter world and I'm gonna tell you everything if you ask or make me angry." I was such an idiot. I just ruined the storyline, and I only now realized it, too. What changes have I already made?

I felt like hitting myself.

_Calm down, Lyrica. You'll reveal yourself to Hisoka, _I told myself. I had to stay calm and not panic. Hisoka was a tricky fellow. One wrong move and I was done for. I needed to tread lightly, carefully.

_**Like you haven't already told yourself off.**_

_Shut up, stupid brain. I don't need your criticism._

"Where did you learn about _Nen_?" he inquired.

Uh... I gulped. How was I supposed to answer this? I couldn't just say I learned it from the anime. Actually, was this really even an anime? I was living inside it, so it couldn't be just a random story someone came up with. Another world? Dimension? I didn't know at all. But this couldn't just be a simple anime, I thought.

Focus, I told myself.

I had no idea how to answer him. I read it from somewhere? Someone told me? I overheard a conversation? From a Hunter? I had absolutely no clue! What sounded the less suspicious? Argh, my head was gonna explode from all these questions!

I said the first thing that came to my mind. "A family member of mine knows about it and told me."

"You're lying."

I gulped. Suddenly, I didn't want to be anywhere near Hisoka anymore. "What makes you think I'm lying?"

_**Because you're an awful liar.**_

"You're not a very good liar, you know."

_Argh! _I mentally screamed. _Damn it, brain. You jinxed it! **I just spoke the tru- **Shut up! Shut up shut up shut up! **Now I'm yelling at myself, nice. **Ugh, I give up! Stupid brain!_

It was official, I was crazy. Why else would I be yelling at myself, and losing an argument with myself?

"Is something wrong?"

I vigorously shook my head. "Nope, nothing! Just thinking to myself. Uh... Well, you see... I'm ac-"

"Hiei!"

Saved by the bell. _Hallelujah! Thank you, Leorio. You're just amazing. _I sighed a breath of relief and spun on my heels to look at Leorio. He was walking toward me, somewhat anxiously, with Kurapika and Gon by his side. I waved at them.

"Gon, Kurapika, Leorio! Good morning," I greeted. My eyes were practically begging for them to help me.

"Hisoka," Kurapika greeted in monotone, then turned to me. "Good morning to you too, Hiei. It's nice to see you up and smiling."

"You gave us a scare yesterday," Leorio said.

Gon released a breath of what sounded like relief. "I was so worried when I didn't find you in bed. You really scared me, I thought something happened!"

"Sorry, Gon," I offered him a sheepish smile.

The others' attention returned to Hisoka and they all gave varying glares.

Hisoka just continued smiling, completely unfazed like the awesome clown he was. He waved to me. "Well, it's been nice talking to you, Hiei. I hope we can talk again sometime." And he left the other way.

I gave another sigh when he was finally gone. "You guys have no idea how happy I am you're all here."

"Did something happen between you and Hisoka?" Kurapika questioned like the worried mama he was.

I quickly shook my head, remembering the conversation Hisoka and I just had before they came. "Nothing, just that it's scary talking with Hisoka. We were alone."

"Must've been," Leorio nodded his head wisely and patted my back in what I thought was supposed to be comforting. "Well, I'm glad you're fine now, kid."

"I'm glad that staying with you the night had helped. Although you could've told me when you left so I didn't get so worried," Gon chastised gently.

I laughed. He was just so adorable.

"Yeah, glad you're ba- wait, WHAT?!" Leorio screamed, gaping at us._  
_

Kurapika looked taken back as well.

I wisely kept my mouth shut, knowing that if I told them that Gon slept with me last night, they'd freak. The problem was Gon. _Don't tell them, Gon. Don't tell them. Just lie or something. Don't tell them. Don't tell the-_

"Oh, I slept in Hiei's room with her last night. She said she didn't want to be alone, so that's why we slept together," Gon chirped.

I facepalmed. _Gon, why?_

And the yelling ensued.

* * *

Half an hour later and Leorio had finally calmed down. He didn't take well to Gon sleeping together with me, saying it was 'inappropriate' despite the fact we were only 12 year old kids and would never think of doing anything remotely 'inappropriate'. The fact that he even thought we'd do anything inappropriate spoke of his dirty mind, and I'd admit I was pretty annoyed with him.

Luckily, Kurapika seemed to understand, even if he was a little upset with it at first. But unlike Leorio, he didn't yell our ears out about all the bad things about sleeping together, a lot of it nothing Gon or I needed to hear. He actually looked ready to snap 15 minutes in and ended up starting a yelling competition with Leorio. He had similar thoughts to me about Leorio's yelling. Leorio was saying waaay too much to kids like Gon and I.

I even had to cover Gon's ears, who didn't seem too pleased with my actions, while I tried hard to tune Leorio out. Not getting at all why I was stopping him from listening.

But seriously, what made Leorio think Gon and I'd "go at it", as he put it? We were just kids!

I couldn't even look at Leorio after that, far too embarrassed and annoyed.

After that we went for some breakfast, and as soon as we finished breakfast it was straight to the computer. I only stayed with them for a few minutes, then I left, telling them I had something to do. Gon had offered to come with me, to which I gently refused. He was way too anxious about seeing Killua that I doubted he'd be paying too much attention to me now that he knew I was fine.

I left down the halls and began my search. I had no clue as to where I was supposed to be going, seeing as I was mostly locked up in my room. My earlier search didn't give much results either. It was at times like this that I wished for teleportation powers or any kind of power that'd help me.

Luckily, my target appeared, and I rushed to him, calling and waving at him. "Pokkle! I need to talk to you!"

He heard me and he stopped, staring at me curiously, though I could pick up some anxiety in them. Like he wasn't sure he wanted to talk to me or something. "Hey, Hiei. What's up?"

I stopped beside him and blushed. Now that I was actually standing in front of him, I was nervous. Did I want to tell him? Yes. Did I want to make things worse? No. I didn't have a clue at the consequences my actions would make, and so I was suddenly left unsure if I should tell him what I had wanted to.

"You okay?" he asked.

I nodded. "Hey Pokkle?"

"Yeah?"

"When," I hesitated, biting my bottom lip. Taking a deep breath, I started over. "You're going to become an Exotic Game Hunter, right?"

"That's right."

"Um... Uh..." I looked away from him, suddenly finding it hard to talk. I knew what I wanted to say, but I just couldn't seem to say it! A lump formed in my throat and I swallowed thickly to try to get it out. "If you, uh... If you ever form a team, make sure at least one of them is as strong as you, okay? And uh, watch out for any spiders, especially gigantic spiders that can talk."

He looked weirdly at me.

"Don't do anything reckless. Try to avoid what you feel is too dangerous. And if something happens, don't panic. Just stay calm and think. If something seems impossible, don't do it. Please," I finished, staring up at him pleadingly.

I had been itching to tell him his future ever since Trick Tower and I just couldn't hold it in anymore. I knew I couldn't tell him exactly what happened, but I thought that if I gave him some warning, he'd be able to avoid his fate. I didn't want him to die, even if his death was supposed to advance the plot. He was a good character and to know that he would die was sad. If I could, I wanted to stop it.

"Uh, sure..." was his unsure response. He smiled suddenly, not a forced one this time but a more genuine one. "Thanks for worrying about me, and sorry that I was being such a jerk earlier."

He laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head, looking away. "I didn't mean to be so rude. You know, about the whole Killua case. I was just irritated with him and I didn't realize I was upsetting you and the others. Sorry."

I smiled, some of the tension drifting away from my shoulders. "It's okay. And please, listen to my warnings. You're a good guy and I'd hate to know something happened to you."

"You think I can't take care of myself?" he challenged, not in an aggressive way.

"No, but I have a hunch something might happen later on. The future is hard to tell, so you should be careful. Please."

He nodded once more. "Alright, thanks for the warning."

He gave a small wave and turned to leave. A few steps in, he stopped, confusing me, and turned. "I was meaning to ask earlier, but do you have a phone? Maybe we could still keep in contact." He blushed suddenly, as if he realized something. "Uh, I already asked Gon, Kurapika and Leorio, too! So it's not just you..." he trailed off awkwardly.

I laughed. "Sure!" Taking out my phone from my pocket, I unlocked it and went to contacts. "Here," I handed it to him, "put in your number and I'll do the same with your phone."

He took out his own phone and gave it to me. I was immediately putting myself in his contacts.

"Hey, cool. This is the newer model of the iPhone, isn't it?" he inquired. "I haven't even been able to get it yet because of the Hunter Exam and everything, but who would have thought I'd find someone with it.

I looked up at him, then at my phone. Looking down at his phone, I noticed it was only a iPhone 5. Mine was an iPhone 5S, a newer model to his. _Crud. I screwed up again, didn't I? _I felt like hitting myself again. _Stupid, stupid, stupid! Don't tell me I messed up again. But wait, he said it was already out, so I didn't screw up, right? Please tell me I didn't screw up._

"Uh, yes... Ha... haha... Actually,I got it just before the Hunter Exam," was what I said.

"Wow, really? How lucky," he replied.

_He actually bought it, _I thought. Never mind the fact that I've had the phone for like half a year already, meaning way before the Hunter Exam started. But nonetheless, I was happy. At least someone couldn't see through my lies. Now hopefully I didn't change anything by showing him my phone. But still, how stupid could I get? I should have realized earlier that the Hunter x Hunter timeline wasn't up to mine. What was a year old in my world might not even exist in this.

_Actually, I thought the Hunter x Hunter timeline was like, ten years behind mine? _But then I remembered, this was going by the newer anime. Newer anime meant newer electronics. I really was stupid. Still, the fact he had an iPhone 5 meant that this world was about a year behind mine. Because in mine, the iPhone 6 had just recently come out.

"Alright, I'm done. Here." He handed me my phone back and I gladly took it, handing him back his. "Hope we can stay in chat after this. We passing examinees need to stick together, don't you agree?"

I nodded. "Yup! By the way, can I ask you something?"

"What is it?"

I grinned and spread my arms out. This was another reason I had sought him out before he left. Pokkle was pretty awesome, too. I needed to hug him as well. "Can I give you a hug? Like for goodbye? We're not gonna see each other for a while." _Or forever. _"Please?"

"Uh... sure?" He was awkward again, but he didn't let it get to him as much as before. He smiled. "Alright, why not? As a goodbye."

And so I hugged him. _Two people down, more than a dozen to go. I'm so happy._

Unfortunately for me the hug was quickly ended and I waved him goodbye. I was happy, but I still worried. Would Pokkle be okay? I really didn't want him to die. He wasn't one of the main, or my most favorite character, but I did like him. I'd hate it if he died. _Please be okay, Pokkle._

I looked down at my phone, where his name displayed on the screen. My brows knitted in determination and I decided, whenever I'd get a chance, I'll call him. I would keep in contact with him and make sure he would be fine. Or at least, if his death couldn't be avoided, I'll somehow make it easier for him. I don't know how I'd accomplish it, but I would. Pokkle wouldn't die so brutally and alone.

_Now there's only one more person left._

Turning on my heels, I headed back inside.

* * *

"Hey Gon, Kurapika, Leorio!" I called out, sighting the three where I had left them.

They turned and each gave me a greeting, which I was happy to give back. I looked over Kurapika's shoulder at the computer screen and found a picture of Kukuroo Mountain. I pointed to it.

"That's where Killua's at?" I didn't even need to ask.

Gon nodded determinedly. "That's right, and we're going there. Well," he paused, looking to me, "if you want to come with us. Leorio and Kurapika already said that they'd be coming."

I grinned. Gon was just so adorable. "Of course! Well, if you guys don't mind me coming. I'd like to help Killua too."

They smiled.

"That's good, because then we would've wasted our money if you didn't. We already ordered tickets, for all of us," Leorio said, patting the top of my head.

I gave him a pointed look, still remembering his rant from earlier, but sighed after a second. I really couldn't stay mad with Leorio, especially since he was probably the closest to me, in more ways than one. I smiled. "Good, because I would've been mad if you guys forgot about me. So when are we leaving?"

"After lunch," Kurapika replied. "So we should start packing."

Kurapika took off the page that had information on Kukuroo Mountain and turned off the computer. Standing up, he and the two boys headed off to pack. I trailed along a few paces behind them.

"Hey guys, do you know where Hanzo is?" I inquired.

"Hanzo?" Leorio eyed me suspiciously.

Kurapika and Gon looked a little taken back by the question. "Why would you want to talk with Hanzo?" Kurapika asked.

I just smiled. "I wanna say goodbye to him. He's the only one left since I've already said bye to Pokkle." Just to see Leorio's reaction I added, "And got his number. I'm planning to call him every moment I can."

"You are not dating him!" Leorio told me sternly.

...and received a jab in the side courtesy of Kurapika.

"Ouch! What the heck was that for?"

"You should mind your own business. Besides, I doubt she'd start dating him after only knowing him for a few weeks. They've barely even talked," Kurapika replied.

"Actually," I piped up, "now that you've mentioned it, I wouldn't mind dating Pokkle. I do like him. Thanks for the idea, Leorio." I grinned, imagining myself out on a date with him. _Ponzu would probably hate me if I took him. Those two are just meant to be together~_

Kurapika glared at Leorio, probably annoyed that he'd gotten me dating Pokkle in my mind.

"What's with that look?" Leorio questioned. Then he turned his attention to me. "Stop grinning like that. You're not dating him, you're way too young."

Wow, he was such a father. "Yes, yes, Leopapa," I replied.

"Goo- wait, what did you call me?" He gaped at me.

I just grinned wider.

Kurapika sighed, shaking his head. "Hiei, you shouldn't purposely annoy Leorio. It's not nice."

"Fine, alright," I gave in, "Mamapika."

Now it was Kurapika's turn to be surprised. "M-Mamapika?"

I laughed, our walk stopped with the words, and doubled-over as I gripped my stomach. Kurapika looks so shocked it was hilarious! And Gon was laughing with me, along with Leorio. Apparently he thought this was funny as well and great revenge. But then, who wouldn't find this funny? Just imagining Kurapika in a dress and making dinner, with Leorio coming home late in a suit and kissing Kurapika hello. Gon, Killua and I would be their children.

My laughter only increased. That was just perfect!

I grinned cheekily. "Just image us as one big happy family. Kurapika would be the mother because he's just perfect for that role. And Leorio would be the father because he likes yelling and overreacting. Gon, Killua and I would be siblings because we're so close and we like annoying you guys."

"What was that, you brat?! I'll get you for that!"

I squeaked and ducked under Leorio's grab. Letting out a hearty laugh of amusement, I took off running with Leorio right after me.

"Hey Hiei, wait for me!" Gon took off as well, grinning as widely as I was as he tried to catch up and help me get away from Leorio.

"Geez," Kurapika sighed and shook his head, "such kids." But a smile made its way to his face. "Wait up for me!"

* * *

_I tried to make this chapter a little happier after all that angst. Lyrica's still not 100% back to normal, but she's getting there. Also, I changed the cover again, anyone notice? Drawn by me again :D_

_As always I'd like to thank my lovely reviewers for reviewing the last chapter. AnonymousShadow, Nameless, Isella of the wolf tribe, jonica77, DelphiniumSweets, Hisoka, Regina Noir, and Lavendor Queen, you guys are all awesome. Even if Hisoka didn't really give much of a review besides '-_-'. Still unsure if that means you don't like it or just put that done. I'm kinda scared._

_But yeah, thank you guys. I love you all!_

**_Important Note!_**

_Currently I am working on eight to ten stories and I realize that for someone like me, who's currently in school and has some other stuff going on, that's a lot to work on. So I've put up a poll on my profile for which story(s) you'd like for me to mainly focus on. Please head there and vote or forever regret it when it's not the story you want. And if you can't vote on the poll, then a review would be just as welcomed. Thank you._


	13. Nightmares and Worries

_I've been watching some Hunter x Hunter (2011) again and I've just felt motivated to write. This chapter is probably crappy, by the way. Kinda rushed, I was just writing and writing and gave little thought to what I put in. I'm sorry. But I just want to get this arc over with so that I can get to the Heavens Arena arc. I've got some stuff planned for that :D_

**_Warning: _**_The usual. This chapter hasn't been edited yet, so expect many mistakes. May contain OOCness, as I'm not good at keeping characters IC TT_TT Might appear weird or stupid. May also contain spoilers._

* * *

After packing and bidding Hanzo goodbye (I also got his number too), we headed out to the airport. Leorio had called for a taxi and as soon as it came, I reluctantly went in. It was packed, with me sitting in between Gon and Kurapika, with Leorio at the front. I couldn't wait until we arrived at the airport. I just wanted out of the car. In this crazy, terror-filled world, a car was one of the more dangerous methods of transportation.

I couldn't describe how happy I felt when we got caught in traffic and had to run to make it to our flight. As much as I hated running, I'd take it over riding a car any day. Who knows what could happen when riding a car? This anime-dimension-world-whatever told me enough.

But then I realized that we'd be running for more than an _hour. _Oh god.

"I can't believe we're running all the way to the airport. That's like two hours away!" Leorio grumbled to himself.

I agreed wholeheartedly.

"Gon, are you sure running there would be the best?" I asked him. "We might not make it in time like this."

"No problem! This is nothing to the Hunter Exam," Gon replied.

I sighed. "You know, you may be a fast runner, but that doesn't mean all of us are as well. If you've forgotten, I don't have as much stamina as you," I pointed out to him. "What if I get tired before we get there?"

"You ran for more than four hours during the first phase, right? You can do it!" he encouraged.

"Gon's right, I'm sure you'll have no problem keeping up. And if you do get tired, we'll stop and rest for a bit," Kurapika assured.

Looking at him, I could tell that he wasn't as excited about running as Gon. However, all of us knew that if we had stayed in that car we wouldn't have made it in time for our flight. Who knew when we would've gotten out of traffic?

I begrudgingly admitted to myself that this was better than doing nothing but sitting in a car and waiting to arrive at our destination. Doing something over doing nothing was nice, it helped keep my mind off more unpleasant things. And now I didn't have to stay in a stupid stuffy car for some hours. Still, I didn't like running. The first phase of the Hunter Exam was good enough for me.

"Let's pick up speed. The faster we get there, the faster we'll see Killua!" Gon yelled.

I groaned to myself as I picked up my pace to match with the others.

Yes, this was definitely nice.

* * *

I looked intently at myself through the mirror in the bathroom. Baggy eyes? Check. Sunken cheeks? Check. Sulky eyes? Check. I frowned deeply, brushing my fingers over my cheeks. Three days since the end of the Hunter Exam and I was still having nightmares. My appetite wasn't improving either. I had tried to eat, really I had, but one bite out of some french fries and I was feeling sick. The memories of Gon's match against Hanzo still haunted me and at this rate, I wasn't sure when I'd finally be able to get over it.

Didn't help that Gon's arm was still broken and all his wounds bandaged. It was a visual reminder of the brutal fight.

_It's done and past, _I told myself. _I have to get over it. At this rate, I'll only be a burden to Gon and the two. I need to get back to normal._

My attention shifted to the bottle of pills on the sink. I had been hesitant at first, but after thinking about it, decided to confide in Leorio. I felt the closest to him, and so trusted him the most out of the group. He was also going to become a doctor, so I figured he'd probably know what to do.

_"I have some lunesta you can take, though I wouldn't really recommend it. Just take one a day before you go to sleep. If you have any side effects, immediately tell me. You'll probably have a bad taste in your mouth when you take the medication, but that's normal," _Leorio had told me.

Picking up the bottle, I stared at the pills anxiously. I wasn't sure whether I should take one. Call me paranoid, but I'd always feel scared of taking any pills if it's the first time I've taken it. Commercials and the manual for it don't exactly help. Reading all the side-affects makes it harder for me to accept the pills. I could still remember how scared I'd gotten when I first got my anti-depressants those few years ago. Elavil had helped, but the first week was just none stop sleeping. Memory loss didn't help either. Though once my body got used to it, it did wonders.

_But should I really take it? _I wondered.

Perhaps my insomnia would just fade after a couple more days? Leorio did say he wouldn't recommend it.

**_Probably because he's not an actual doctor yet and would prefer if I consult a real doctor,_ **the other part of my mind told me. My frown deepened. _He didn't actually say that though. What if it'll have really bad side affects? **Though I did take Elavil and that had some nasty side affects for the first week or so. It turned out alright in the end. **Still, I'm scared._

I groaned, I had no idea what to do. But I wanted to be able to sleep peacefully at night.

_Maybe I should take Elavil again? It did do me good in the sleeping department. More than I wanted, actually. And it's an antidepressant, so it can help me, _I thought.

Should I ask Leorio?

_But he already gave me this._

I groaned again. I just couldn't decide what to do!

Someone knocked on the bathroom door, interrupting me from my thoughts and making me jump as I was startled.

"Hey Hiei, are you alright in there?"

Gon, I thought. I quickly put the pills in my jacket pocket and walked to the open the door. Just as I thought, Gon stood on the other side, looking worried. I couldn't help but smile. He was just so kind. I can't believe I made him so concerned. Now I felt really guilty.

Stupid Gon.

"I'm fine, Gon. Sorry about that," I assured him.

He continued to frown for a few seconds longer, and I grew nervous. Did Gon know about my troubles? How stressed I was? Or that I couldn't sleep? Did Leorio tell him, and even Kurapika? No, Leorio wouldn't do that. He told me he wouldn't do that. That it'd stay a secret between us. He wouldn't betray me like that. Right? I chewed on my bottom lip.

"Is something wrong, Gon?" I asked him.

He shook his head and put on a smile. "No, just thinking," he told me. Leaning in closer, he said, "You know, if something's troubling you, you can tell me right? We're friends, right?"

I bit harder on my lip. Dang it Gon, don't make me feel even more guilty! And that look, it just spelled 'I'm really worried about you but I don't want to sound rude by asking, but I wish you could trust me'. Stop making me feel so bad, I've already got so much on my mind. Just stop, stop. Please. I'm fine. But he didn't, because he was worried about me. It was just who he was. I really felt like kicking myself.

"I'm just worried about Killua. Who knows what's happening to him right now?" **_I do, and I'm lying to him. _**_Shut up brain, I don't need your criticism.__  
_

He nodded slowly, and I could see he didn't quite buy it.

I sighed. "I'm not lying. Well, I'm telling the truth, just not all of it. It's not fair, Gon~ How can you make me feel so bad? You and your stupidly cute expressions," I pouted.

He didn't say anything.

Well, so much for distracting him. He was just too perception, stupid cute kid. Why couldn't I be angry with him? Why did I have to feel so bad about lying to him? Or rather, keeping secrets from him. He just had such a big affect on me. Maybe my brother was right, I was horrible at keeping stuff to myself. He would've laughed at me. Of course, after he made sure to give me a big, hard pat on the back to get me out of my depression.

I missed him.

_No, no thinking like that. Focus at the situation at hand. Later I can wallow in self-pity and loneliness. Right now I had to help Killua, then I'll start finding a way back, _I told myself, mentally slapping my cheeks.

"I just miss my family," I finally admitted. "I haven't seen my little brother or my grandmother in a few weeks now. I'm lonely, I guess." I quickly shook my hands, straightening up. "Not that I don't enjoy your guys' company. It's just, they're my family. I'm homesick, is all." I let my hands drop and gave another sigh. "I was thinking of going out to look for them after we've helped Killua."

I wondered, was telling him that worse than telling him that I barely had any sleep and when I did, I had nightmares? Would he have taken it better than the news I just delivered him? I wasn't lying, I did feel homesick and wanted to see my family. But it was really affecting me, more than I wanted Gon to believe. He wouldn't find out everything that's happening with me, would he? I didn't want him to worry anymore.

**_That's a lie. _**_Shut up, no one asked you. **But you want him to worry about you. You want someone there to understand. Even Leorio doesn't know the full story and it's making you feel depressed. **I said no one asked you, stupid brain. **And I'm arguing with myself.**_ I let out an aggravated groan. I give up! Arguing with myself was impossible. And I was pretty sure now that I'd just gone insane.

"So you aren't gonna stay with us after we get Killua?" Gon asked.

I bit my bottom lip, then shrugged. "Would you guys want me to come with you?"

"I'd like for you to come. I'd miss you."

I blushed and looked away from him. Gon, you were just so sweet. But you don't actually mean that, do you? "Wouldn't I just burden you guys? I mean, with how I am, I'd just get in your way. I'm not strong, nor am I smart, and I've only been dragging you guys down since I've met you. Would you really be okay with having me with you?"

Gon glared sternly at me, as if I'd just said something awful.

I stiffened.

"You shouldn't say that about yourself. You haven't been dragging any of us down. And you're not weak or stupid either! I like having you around, you're my friend. And I'm sure that Kurapika, Leorio and Killua feel the same. All of us like you. And you have been helping us, whether you know it or not. So you shouldn't say that," he scolded me.

I couldn't believe it. My eyes prickled with tears and I clenched my hands together to keep myself from crying. Why did Gon have to be so sweet?

"Gon's right, you haven't been a burden to us at all."

My head shot up at the new voice and I was shocked to find Kurapika stepping up behind Gon, arms crossed. Leorio stepped up as well, and I realized that they had been eavesdropping on the conversation between the two of us. Had they heard everything?

"You shouldn't be concerned over that, or even think it. None of us believe you to be a burden and believe it or not, we like having you around. Like Gon said, you are our friend and nothing close to a burden," Kurapika continued, offering me a comforting smile.

"I was gonna say that," Leorio grumbled and sighed. Walking closer to me, he patted my head. "Geez, you and Killua. Both of you have some real self-esteem issues. Even though he can be a real brat at times. Stop beating yourself up, it's not good for you."

I smiled up at him, placing my hands over his. "So you guys don't mind me around? Even if I annoy you guys and can't fight to save my life?"

"Of course!" Gon chirped. "Like I said, you're our friend. And if you're in trouble, we'll help you. Just like I'm sure if any of us get in trouble, you'll come and help us."

Tears rolled down my cheeks and I quickly wiped them off. It was official, I loved these four. I'd always known they were all nice and caring, but now I was positive. They really were the best friends anyone could ask for. Now I understood why Killua felt so compelled to help them. Well, mostly Gon, but he cared about them too. And so I decided, as long as I was with them, I'd do anything to make sure they were fine and happy. If possible, I'll help them through the events to come and take on some of their burdens as well. They wouldn't be alone, I promised.

"Thanks guys, I really needed to hear that," I told them. "I won't think like that anytime soon."

"Ever," Leorio corrected.

I laughed. "Right, right. I promise I won't. But in exchange, promise that you'll always be my friends. Even after the good and bad?" _You won't leave me alone. I don't know if I could take it, not after losing my family._

They all smiled.

"Of course, it's a promise," Leorio said.

"Friends forever," Gon added.

Kurapika nodded. "That's something that won't change, you can bet on it."

I laughed and they joined me. Bouncing forward, I wrapped an arm around Gon's neck and another around Leorio's waist. I looked up at Kurapika expectantly. "Group hug? Please? It'll make me feel even better."

Kurapika didn't deny me and wrapped his arms around Gon and Leorio. "Sure, why not."

"You guys are just the best, you know that?"

We stayed like that for a long moment and I enjoyed every single minute of it. I still couldn't believe how caring and understanding they were. Really, they were just the best. Breaking apart, I regarded Gon. "Hey Gon, would you mind if I went along with you searching for your dad? I'll help you look for him and in exchange, you'll help me with my search. What do you say?"

"Really?" he exclaimed. "I'd love that! Now we can stay together!"

I couldn't resist it. I hugged him once more and laughed along with him. "Then it's decided, we'll go on many cool adventures and be just the bestest of friends. Of course, that includes Killua and Kurapika and Leorio. Even if they don't want to, I'll make them. We'll stay together forever!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

That night I was able to sleep for more than three hours, though my nightmares still didn't go away. But I didn't wake up in the middle of the night, so I guess that was a plus. We still had a few more hours of flying in this stupid blimp and I had to endure the rest of the night. When morning came I still felt tired and, the side affect of the drug that I didn't like at all, had even felt rather dizzy. It was hard hiding it from Gon and Kurapika, but luckily Leorio helped me out a bit with it.

Still, I did worry that the two would find out. I was still too chicken to tell them because I didn't want them to worry anymore, even after the conversation we had yesterday. Their attention should be on Killua and Killua only. Until he was fine and out of that dumb household I would make sure only he was the one they focused on. They couldn't afford their attention on me. Killua was the important one.

_**Yes, because I believe I don't matter. **Shut up, brain. I don't need your sarcasm. **But I'm lying to myself. And to the others. **I said shut up! **And I'm referring to myself as 'you'.**_

I groaned in aggravation. Could I get any crazier? I was arguing with myself, and losing, and that was bad. Really bad. What was wrong with me?

"Hey Hiei, how're you doing?"

I turned on my heels and found Leorio behind me. He was looking me seriously.

"I've doing fine." I swallowed thickly. "Though you were right about the awful taste I'd get in my mouth. It can bear it, though."

"Well, as long as it's helping you. But remember, if you feel anything wrong, make sure to tell me immediately. Got it?"

I nodded.

"Hey Leorio... is it weird that I'm talking to myself a lot?" I asked him hesitantly.

**_So much for keeping it quiet. _**_I thought you told me not to lie! **Never said that. **_I frowned

"What do you mean by talking?" He eyed me suspiciously and I could see the concern in his eyes.

My frown deepened. Maybe I shouldn't tell him? He'd think of me as crazy. Hell, I thought of myself as crazy. What if he didn't like me anymore? _**He wouldn't do that. He's not that kind of person. **But if he doesn't want to be with me anymore? **He'll accept me. **But he won't. **He will. **What if he doesn't? What if he leaves me? I don't want to be alone!__**  
**_

"Hiei, you okay?"

I nodded my head once more. "Sorry... just thinking. I've just been thinking a lot about everything that's happened and I think that I'm thinking too much. Sorry, I hope I didn't worry you."

He smiled. "Don't worry about it. It's pretty hard on us as well, so you're not alone. Just remember that we're here for you." He ruffled my hair. "You shouldn't let yourself get so down. It's not good for your health."

I smiled. "Thanks, Leorio. You really are the best, you know that?"

He laughed and pulled me to him. I yelped when he gave a noogie. "After all that I better be, squirt."

I laughed along with him and squirmed in his hold. "Leorio, stop~" I whined, trying to get away from him. Once I did, I made sure to stay a few steps away from him so he wouldn't pull the same stunt again. "Hey Leorio?"

"Hmm?"

"Thanks."

* * *

It was a day before we'd land and I was feeling anxious. I sat next to Gon, who was just staring out the window, thinking about Killua. I knew this because I had watched the anime. Anyway, I sat next to him, a cloth covering my eyes (because I just couldn't stand looking out the window and it blocked off the light from the room) and my seat tilted just a little back into a more comfortable position. Currently I was pretending to sleep. With how close we were getting to Killua, I was just feeling more and more anxious each hour that passed.

I couldn't wait to see Killua, but at the same time I was scared.

_What changes am I gonna make now that I'm here and in this anime-world-dimension-whatever? I'd like to avoid all the bad canon events and possibly make them good for the boys, and other characters- I mean people, _I reminded myself. I couldn't refer to Gon and the others as characters anymore, because they weren't just characters anymore. _But if I change something, will I just make it even worse for everyone? I'd be changing canon and as soon as I've changed something, it'll be harder for me to predict what'll happen next._

I wanted to groan, but remembered that Gon was beside me and possibly thought I was asleep, as I had wanted. All these questions were going to drive me crazy! I had no idea what I was supposed to do. What could I do?

Just then Kurapika and Leorio arrived, I knew this because I could hear their footsteps and whispering. It didn't look like Gon noticed, though I didn't expect him to. As I wanted, his only focus now was on Killua, just as it should be. That part was still canon.

While the three talked I continued to think. Taking Killua back and possibility making changes to canon wasn't my only concern. I still needed to figure out how I got here and if there was any possible way to get back to my world. I had nowhere to start and that was the most frustrating thing for me. How could I begin my search if I didn't know what it was I was supposed to look for?

A way back, yes. But what lead did I have? Any clues? Hints?

I had nothing of that.

Not even an idea.

I could try searching up dimension-hopping and even time-travelling and could get many results. But not _accurate _results. My case wasn't normal, probably rarer than rare. Impossible, even. Who would know how to get me back? What should I _really_ be searching for?

Then I thought that perhaps _Nen _could help me, but even that had its limits. Perhaps if I learned _Nen _and I turned up to be a Specialist, I could come up with a Hatsu technique that could send me back. But that wasn't happening, because I was almost certain I wasn't a Specialist. Specialists were rare and with my luck, I'd be lucky to be a Transmuter.

Through some sort of Conjuration ability I could get back. But again, I wasn't that lucky. Hisoka said that people like Kurapika ended up being Conjurers. I wasn't like Kurapika. The closest I was to in personality-wise was Leorio. Although I didn't get angry easily.

I didn't, right?

But yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if I turned up to be an Emitter. Perhaps even an Enhancer like Gon.

_I don't think either of those would help me. _I believed that Enhancers were made to fight. Or could stand fighting, like Gon. If I was an Enhancer, the only abilities I could think of would be used in fighting. Not distancing or cooking or anything like that.

I wasn't a fighter.

I guessed being an Emitter would be okay. I didn't have any ideas of what kind of Emitter abilities I could create, though. So that was a point down. I didn't think that category would help me get back or even find any clues as to how to get home. That was another point down. Basically it was the same was with being an Enhancer. I didn't have much luck in this category.

_I might turn out to be an Emitter or an Enhancer, but neither of those would probably benefit me. Specialist is out of the question too. I'm not independent and charismatic at all, so I couldn't be a Specialist. If it's based on personality-wise, I wouldn't be a Conjurer either. I'm not really stoic and I doubt high-strung either. If anything, I was more for being reckless than being on guard. Again, an Emitter and a Enhancer trait._

So that meant I really was gonna end up either an Emitter or an Enhancer. Maybe I had some luck in being a Transmuter or a Manipulator. I'd regard myself as a weirdo - a Transmuter trait. But I wasn't much of a liar. I sucked at lying. Right? And I didn't count myself as logical, so perhaps Manipulator was out too.

I mentally groaned. I couldn't be sure exactly. Last time I watched the anime-thingy-whatever or read the wikia was... was... Well, I couldn't remember, but it was quite a while ago. I couldn't remember everything about the Hatsu types.

_I could always ask a Specialist or someone really smart for help in getting back._

Then it hit me.

I started, jolting up from my seat. "That's it! That's what I can do!"

Then a wave of dizziness struck me and I fell back on my seat. I clutched my head, groaning as the world spun around me and I tried to keep my bearings. It took a few moments to pass.

"Hiei, you okay?" someone asked.

"Dizziness? You shouldn't have stood up so abruptly!" another said sternly.

There was a pair of hands on my shoulders, stabilizing me. I couldn't tell who, but what I could tell was that the hands were larger than mine. Gon was out of the question.

I tried to open my eyes and see who, but it was all black. I almost freaked out. _Wait, I'm wearing that cloth or whatever it's called over my eyes. _I felt so stupid. I wanted to hit my head for my idiocy._  
_

Pulling the cloth up from my eyes, I blinked my eyes blearily to get used to the sudden ability to see once more. I rubbed at my eyes and when everything wasn't as blurry anymore, I looked up at worried brown eyes. Two others were also staring down at me, rich and varying hues of brown.

"You okay Hiei?" questioned Gon.

I laughed sheepishly. "Sorry about that, just a dream," I opted for lying.

It was obvious they didn't believe.

"You're not a very good liar," Kurapika pointed out.

_Hisoka said the same thing to me a few days ago, too, _I thought, sweat-dropping. Wait, I could sweat-drop? Not the problem here, I told myself.

I sighed and sagged in my seat. Leorio removed his hands from my shoulders once he was sure I was fully back to normal. "I'm sorry," I apologized. "I just..." I bit my lip, wondering what I should say. "I think I might have found a way to get back home," finally I confessed.

Gon's eyes brightened, I could see, and the other two seemed to be interested as well. "Really?" the youngest of the boys questioned.

I nodded. "But Gon, that might mean I'll be tagging along with you for longer than we might've thought." _For a little over two years, actually._

"What did you figure out?" Kurapika inquired.

"I'd like to meet Gon's dad as well. He might be able to help me." They each raised an eyebrow, confused. I elaborated, "Gon's dad is supposed to be someone well respected and strong, right? So if I could ask him, he might be able to help. Heck, I might even encounter someone else who can also help me along the way. I have a hunch that staying with Gon is the best and fastest way for me to find my way back home."

"It'll probably be a waste of time," Leorio told me.

Kurapika gave Leorio a small, light jab to the side. "I think what Leorio's trying to say is that, there's not a guarantee that you'll be able to find Gon's dad soon. There's also the possibly that Gon's dad won't know how to help you. Wouldn't going after another Hunter be more helpful? Perhaps you'll be able to remember something if you look at maps," Kurapika suggested.

"Maybe," I said with a small, lazy shrug. "But like I said, I have a hunch that staying with Gon will be the best way. And considering how much trouble he gets into, I'll probably be able to meet some Hunters or even just others that can help me. So I think I should stay with him."

"We'll I wouldn't mind if you stay with me. I'd love to be with you!" Gon chirped.

I felt like blushing. How could Gon say such embarrassing things so easily? No wonder Killua gets so flustered whenever Gon compliments him.

But I smiled and wrapped my arms around him. "Same here! Gon, if you don't mind, I'm gonna be giving you lots and lots of hugs from now on. You're just too cute for me not to!" I told him, grinning.

Gon was just too cute.

He laughed in response and wrapped his arms around me as well. We rocked back and forth, just laughing for absolutely no reason but just that we could. Gotta say, Gon made it hard not to be happy in his presence. I could see why everyone felt so attracted to him. He could make anyone love him! I knew I already loved him.

"You guys are such kids," Leorio muttered, rolling his eyes.

Gon and I stuck our tongues out at him.

"Hey Gon," I suddenly said.

"Yeah Hiei?"

I cringed at my 'name'. I still hadn't told them my real name yet. That dampened my mood. Though I tried to push it aside. "When we get Killua back, can you make sure to hold him down?"

"Why?"

Everyone was looking at me curiously.

I grinned wider.

"Because Killua's mean in that he won't let me hug him. I've already hugged you guys, so it's fair that I hug him as well. He deserves it. _I _deserve it. I'm getting that hug. So can you help me, Gon?" I said.

He laughed. "Sure!"

_And I'll tell you guys my real name as well, when we're all together. You guys deserve at least that much, _I decided.

We settled down soon enough and Gon was back to staring out the window, with Leorio and Kurapika sitting across from us chatting and eating. I quickly excused myself and went to the bathroom. Gulping down one of the sleeping pills I was given, I went back to my seat and pulled the cloth thing (why couldn't I remember what it was called?) back over my eyes. Sinking into my seat, I quickly got comfortable.

_I'll ask Mr. Ging for help. If he can't help me, then my only hope is Alluka, _I thought as I drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_**Important AN**_

_**READ!**_

_As of right now, this story is one of the last in the polls, meaning it has gotten little votes, meaning that it's very possible I won't be writing this story for a while after the poll is finished. You guys might wanna go over and vote, or it'll end up that I'll mainly be writing for another story or two. But for those of you who've already voted, thank you so much. I really appreciate you guys taking your time._

_To tell you guys the truth, this is one of the stories I really wanna work on, just because I've already got so much planned and jotted down for it. The others, not really, which I really need to get to, as I keep getting writer's block because I don't know what to write. I like all my stories, kinda... Some, more than others. Just because of my awful writing from back then. Which is like, two months and under. But yeah._

_Please vote!_

**_End of Important AN_**

_As always, I'd like to thank magicjewel, is a flying cookie 2, and Singular Poisonous Ashes for reviewing! You guys are the best :3_

**_~Review~_**


	14. The Great Wall of Ba Sing Se

_A day early Christmas present. Hope you guys enjoy it. Also, I've been thinking of editing the earlier chapters of this story. I don't know, I just don't like them._

_**Warning: **The usual. Beware of spoilers, cause there might be some._

* * *

"So that's Kukuroo Mountain?" I gaped in awe, eyes bulging and my face practically glued to the window. Gon was in a similar state as me.

It looked so... eerie. Ominous clouds hung over the mountain, blocking the top from view. From here, it looked so large. Like Mt. Everest or something. Never actually seen the mountain, but Kukuroo Mountain sure did look huge. Wouldn't be surprised if it was one of the largest mountains in this world. The Zoldycks really lived atop that mountain? How much money did they possess?

"Hey, sit down. You two are blocking the view!" Leorio complained.

Gon was pulled back down to his seat by Leorio, and seeing this, I reluctantly sat as well. Kurapika let out a puff of breath and smiled, in what I presumed was amusement. I pouted, and it quickly turned into full-blown frowning. We were finally in the Republic of Padokea and so close to Killua's home. It was all so nerve-wrecking.

To think, we were actually going to intrude into the house of a bunch of assassins. A bunch of filthy rich, totally badass, unbeatable assassins. The _Zoldycks. _The best of the best pro assassins in this world. Yup, we were crazy. And screwed.

Very screwed.

"To think, that mountain there is where Killua's family lives," Kurapika said.

"The base for this family of assassins is on that mountain? It sure looks creepy," Leorio muttered.

Kurapika hummed in agreement. "Once we reach our destination, we should start gathering information," he suggested.

Leorio and I nodded.

"Okay."

* * *

"Ah, I'd like to thank you all for taking the Lamentation Tour today," the busty tour girl bowed. "This bus will be taking you to Kukuroo Mountain, home to the famous Zoldyck family of assassins."

I didn't pay the lady much attention. Sitting beside Leorio at the window, I looked out to the various mountains in Dentora. I was enthralled by them. Beautiful, was all I could think. To think Killua lived in this area, where there was so much wildlife. I wouldn't mind making a home and staying here forever. It was certainly peaceful, excluding all the people that came to view the area.

My smiled widened into a full-blown grin as Kukuroo Mountain came back into view, as ominous as the first time I'd seen it.

"Everyone, please look to your right. That is Kukuroo Mountain, where the Zoldyck family lives. A forest surrounds the 3,722 meter mountain, and the Zoldyck estate is somewhere on that mountain. But no one has ever actually seen it."

Okay, so maybe I was wrong. Mt. Everest was like, over 8,000 meters tall. But hey, from where I was standing back there, it looked really, really big. Can't blame me. Still looks big. But now that I was closer, I guess it wasn't as big as I first thought. Though it was incredible that Killua actually lived atop a mountain. Mountain. That was just so cool. And a scary-looking slash pretty looking mountain.

I was jealous, honestly.

I half payed attention to the tour lady from then on. I already knew more than she did, anyway. So this wasn't anything knew. While she talked, I wondered whether I could still name all the members of the family.

"The Zoldyck family includes ten members: a great-grandfather,"

_Maha Zoldyck._

"-grandfather,"

_Zeno Zoldyck._

"-grandmother,"

_Si- wait, grandmo-_

"-father,"

_-ther? No wa-_

"-mother,"

_-it... Ugh, I-_

"-and five kids."

_-messed up._

"All are assassins!"

I pouted. And here I thought I would ace it. There's a grandmother as well? _**Well of course there's a grandmother. How could Silva and the kids be born if there wasn't one? **Shut up mind, I didn't ask for your criticism._

I sighed. I had totally forgotten about the grandmother seeing as she was only ever spoken of here and no more. _Okay, let's try again. _"Maha Zoldyck, Zeno Zoldyck, unknown grandmother, Silva Zoldyck, Kikyo Zoldyck, and from first born to last: Illumi Zoldyck, Milluki Zoldyck, Killua Zoldyck, Alluka Zoldyck, and finally, Kalluto Zoldyck," I named, holding a finger with each name.

"Did you say something?" Kurapika questioned.

I blinked and smiled sheepishly. "Nothing."

His eyes narrowed at me.

Okay, so I wasn't a good liar. Stop reminding me.

"I was just trying to remember all the Zoldyck family members," I confessed. " I know of Illumi and Killua, and I've heard that their father is named Silva Zoldyck."

Sorry Kurapika, that was all I was going to give you.

"You know about the father?" he seemed surprised.

Gon's attention shifted to me, too.

Leorio was still fast-asleep, snoring loudly beside me.

"A little," and really, I did only know a little. He was still a mystery, just as the rest of the family. "Though nothing that'll help us." **_Except that he can use _Nen _and can totally annihilate us with a flick of his wrist. Yeah, nothing much. _**"I only know his name and that he's really strong. You can find a lot of things if you just put a little effort into it."

Kurapika eyed me for a long moment, making me gulp. Finally, he sighed and turned away. I wondered what he was thinking about. I had a hunch that he didn't believe me. Perhaps he was disappointed that I was lying to him? Oh god, I hope not. Dang it, why must everyone make me feel so guilty? I just wanted to crawl into a hole and lay there for years. I swear, everyone's either pitying me or disappointed in me.

Or laughing at me.

Like Killua.

Killua...

I groaned to myself. Now I couldn't stop thinking about him. Was he okay? Was his family treating him well? He wasn't dead, was he? Ugh, all this worrying was pointless. Of course he was fine, counting out the whippings he was getting. But ugh, even if I tell myself this, I can't help but feel anxious.

_Killua's gonna be fine, right? _I bit my bottom lip.

"Are you alright, Hiei?"

I looked up, straight into Gon's honey eyes. My eyes softened. "Sorry, just thinking." I offered him a smiled that looked totally like grimace, "I can't wait until we get to Killua. I'm worried."

"Yeah," he agreed. He grinned. "Though I'm sure Killua's fine. He's really tough and I doubt anything bad'll happen to him."

Gon sounded so confident. Too bad he was wrong. Really wrong. Unless being chained up and whipped for hours counted as being okay. _Gon would be devastated to know what they're doing to Killua. Probably even more so than when he heard about Killua being disqualified because of Illumi. _Somehow I was glad he didn't know. Gon was so innocent, he didn't need to know about these kinds of things. I didn't want him to worry and be angry. He didn't deserve so much stress.

I looked back at Kukuroo Mountain. Suddenly, I wasn't as excited about seeing Kukuroo Mountain, my mood completely ruined.

* * *

The Great Wall of China. Or even, the Great Wall of Ba Sing Se. That was my only thought when I saw the giant gates that surrounded Kukuroo Mountain. I'd seen it in the anime, but wow was it huge. Like, _huge. _Gigantic. Big. Tall. Incredible. I was running out of synonyms to describe it. So it was huge, and it was creepy. Really creepy. I had goosebumps just looking at it.

And that was only the gate itself.

The dragons on either side of the huge doors? Yeah, they didn't make it any better. It was like looking at the doors to Hell. "Gate to Hades" wasn't just a corny, cliche name. They really did look like the gates to the underworld.

_And we're gonna be going inside, _I gulped.

You know how earlier I said we were all crazy for wanting to barge into the Zoldyck's home? Yeah, more like insane. Worse than insane.

We were going to invade the home of the _Zoldycks. _A family of pro assassins. Stronger than strong. Badder than bad. Oh-my-god-Silva-had-killed-a-Spider bad. And he was inside, probably already knowing we were here. Just in his room, surrounded by his dogs, probably smirking in amusement at the very moment because we thought we could take his son from him.

My knees trembled in fear.

Was it too late to run?

I shook my head, slapping my hands on my cheeks. No, I couldn't chicken out now. Don't mind that I'm only an ordinary girl who has no power whatsoever and can't fight to save her life. I could do this, I just had to believe in myself. Believe in all of us. We could win against them. Gon was the main character and as the main character, he couldn't die. So we would all be fine.

...

Oh, who was I kidding? We were all gonna die!

"That's really something," Leorio gaped from beside me.

"This is the front gate of the Zoldyck estate. Also known as Gate to Hades because no one who's entered has ever returned alive," tour lady said. "To enter, you must pass through the door beside the security checkpoint. But the area beside the gate is private property, so we can't proceed."

I slapped my cheeks. "...ow," I muttered. Okay, so that was a little too hard. Anyway, back to business! I had get myself to stop thinking so negatively. Positive. I had to be optimistic, my doctor said that I shouldn't think pessimistically because it was bad for me.

But being optimistic sure was hard. How could Gon do it?

Ugh, I give up. Again.

_Calm down, Lyrica. You're not gonna die. No one's gonna die. We can't die. We're not even going to be fighting any of the Zoldycks. _Hopefully, if I hadn't changed canon. _We'll get Killua back and be on our way._

The sooner we got out of here, the better. This place was just so dreary and unnerving, to me. All this talk about death, and thinking about death, and smelling death, and knowing of death, and... and I stopped myself. No more. I had to stay optimistic. Optimistic. Optimistic. Opti-

"It's all a bluff."

My head whipped up and I saw a tall, pudgy man close to us. His hair was greased back and he held on to a weapon. Besides the somewhat dorky expression on his face and the stench around him - what was that, sweat? dirt? - he looked quite intimidating. Beside him was a pudgy man with a large weapon over his shoulders, and the two walked by us. My eyes zeroed in on the large sword.

_Is - is that... Zabuza's sword? _My eyes narrowed. _Wait, no. The handle's all wrong. Actually, the design is much different from his. Though it is large enough to be Zabuza's sword. But I doubt it is. His sword is unique, this one just looks big._

The two walked to the security building by the fake gate. I looked up just in to see the pudgy guy from earlier was screaming at Zebro - that was his name, right? - to open the door. The other man was just standing around, waiting. I crinkled my nose. Geez, did they have no manners? Picking on an old man like that! Then again, Zebro wasn't just any old man. Probably ten times stronger than them.

Still...

"Don't worry, your master will be dead soon enough," the smaller of the two said.

Zebro handed them the key and the pudgy man holding him up threw him aside harshly. I gasped, and both Gon and I rushed to Zebro to help him. The two men just went inside, huffing and puffing like the arrogant men they were.

"Are you okay?" Gon questioned.

"You're not hurt, are you?" I asked.

The two of us held an arm each and we helped him up. Though not like we needed to. He just nodded his head.

"Yes, I'm fine," he said.

The doors shut with a resounding _smack! _and I looked towards it just as Zebro did. I trembled at remembering what was to come.

"Geez... Now Mike's going to eat in between meals again," Zebro sighed.

I gulped.

...

_"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"_

Gon stiffened. Leorio and Kurapika gasped. I blanched. My hands released Zebro's arm and I clutched at my ears. _Th... that sound. A..._

The door creaked open a crack. One large, hairy arm poked out of it and bones jiggled. Two skeletons, with their clothes still on, crashed to the ground with a thud, bones breaking into pieces. I didn't mean to, really I didn't! But my eyes refused to leave the cracked skulls, where leftover hair still lingered and two large holes gaped, probably where Mike had hit them.

The tourists screamed.

My world spun.

* * *

I stirred and groaned as I awoke. My hand clutched the side of my head, where I could feel a small bump, and my head throbbed painfully.

"Hey, look! Hiei's awake!"

Feet shuffled and before I knew it, hands were gripping lightly on to my shoulder, helping me up. I forced my eyes open, blinking rapidly as the light of the day assaulted the orbs, and moaned as dizziness hit me. My world spun for the second time that day and I clutched to my head tightly, waiting for it to pass.

"Easy, don't push yourself," Leorio told me.

In and out. In and out. I took steady breaths and calmed myself. Once more opening my eyes, which had shut with the dizziness, I found three pairs of brown eyes staring worriedly at me.

"What happened?" I asked hesitantly.

"Upon seeing the skeletons of the two bounty hunters from earlier, you fainted," Kurapika answered.

Leorio helped me up to my feet and I clutched at his arm to keep myself from losing balance. I didn't want to fall again. I frowned at Kurapika's words and found my mind swirling with images of earlier. Coming to Kukuroo Mountain, the information that guide lady told us, those two men entering through the gate, and then... I gasped and fell to my rear, my hands immediately shooting to my mouth as bile rose up my throat.

Someone handed me a garbage bin and immediately I was puking my insides out.

"Hiei!"

Two hands held up my black mane and I clutched to the edges of the bin in a death grip. The others were talking, but I couldn't hear them, not over the noise of me puking. It was just so... so horrid. Those men, the bones. Mike _eating_ people. I never wanted to see it. Never wanted to hear it. I had watched it happen before, but witnessing it with my own eyes was so much different. The scent of death, the screams of agony, it was all just so much. How could anyone stand it?

* * *

It took some time to calm me down and get me back to normal. Once I was finished puking my guts out and not fretting over what had happened earlier, I sat in one of the only two chairs in the room. The boys had insisted that I sit and not stand, with what had happened earlier. I didn't object in the least, and gladly took the offer. I needed to sit and relax after that trauma.

"I see, so your Killua-bocchama's friends. I'm happy to hear that," Zebro spoke, pouring tea for all of us. "I've worked here for twenty years, but this is the first time any friends have come to visit."

I gratefully took my steaming cup from him and muttered a thanks loud enough to be heard. Taking the cup to my lips, I cringed at the disgusting taste. What was this, ink or something? _No gagging, no gagging, no gagging, _I told myself. I forced down the drink, feeling tears prickle my eyes at the awful taste. Either there was something wrong with this tea, or my medicine decided I hadn't been tortured enough in one day.

"Uh," I sighed, and cringed once more.

I couldn't decide, did bile taste worse or better than this tea?

"You okay, Hiei?" Kurapika questioned.

I nodded.

Leorio leaned and whispered, "It's not the tea, is it?"

I gave a hum and he understood. He patted my back sympathetically. "That sucks."

Gon and Kurapika looked on confused.

We ignored them. Like I'd want them to know. Pfft, that was why I hadn't told them anything. No need to worry about me. Just Killua. Only Killua.

Zebro, who hadn't said anything throughout our exchange, sat back in his chair and took a sip out of his own cup. He continued on in his speech and I just continued to drink my tea. I fought hard to keep from cringing, but it was futile, really. Forcing the tea down my throat was hard, trying not to gag was even harder. Halfway to finishing my tea, I stopped. I couldn't take it anymore.

I set it down on the desk beside me and didn't give another glance. The drink just tasted so putrid. I had a sinking suspicion that eating anything would result in the same. It would be unbearable.

Swallowing thickly, I tried to get rid of the taste.

Nope, still there.

Shoot.

I tuned back into the conversation.

"Didn't you see the large arm of the creature? Its name is Mike. It serves as the Zoldyck family watchdog. It only obeys family, and will attack anyone else. The beast still follows the order its master gave it ten years ago, to kill every single intruder." Zebro laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "But technically, he isn't following the order because he keep eating them... Anyway, I can't let you inside. I wouldn't want to reduce Killua-bocchama's friends to skeletons."

Zebro laughed.

"Mr. Zebro, why is it that you can go inside then? I mean, if _all _intruders are killed, why are you safe?" I inquired.

Kurapika nodded in agreement. "Why else would you have a key?"

Zebro smirked. "Quite perceptive of you two. But you're only half right. I require no key to get inside. This key is for intruders," he dug into his inside pocket and held up the key for display.

"A key for intruders?" Leorio was confused.

"For some reason, eighty to ninety percent of intruders attempt to use the front gate. If I don't open the gate for them, they'll try to break it down. Such troublemakers... So we added a locked door to one side. The intruders take the key from the helpless guard, and then Mike eats them." He pocketed the key once more.

I smiled. "The real gate isn't locked."

"You're exactly right."

Gon and Leorio gasped in shock. Kurapika was quiet, though I knew that he had already figured it out. I just kept on smiling.

"As you and your friend have just realized, I'm not actually a guard. I merely clean up after Mike," Zebro explained.

I spun around in my seat to stare at the large gate. The others mimicked me. "And the actual gates are the ones with the numbers on them. The side door is a fake for the intruders."

"Seriously?" Leorio exclaimed.

* * *

We stood in front of the actual gates. Leorio was warming up and stretching to get ready to open them. Even though he would fail. Badly. But he didn't know that. And I wouldn't tell him. Hey, it'd be funny watching him try. Sue me for wanting some entertainment after doing nothing but talking for so long. Besides, it was Zebro's role to tell us about the gates, not mine.

_Although I would like to try, even if I'll fail badly. _The thought was tempting, the gates making it hard for me not to go up there and try.

It looked fun.

Frustrating, but fun.

"Alright, I'm gonna do this!" Leorio exclaimed, slapping his palms on the stone gates.

I was already trying not to laugh.

_Ladies and gentlemen, the event you've all been waiting for. In one corner we have the big man himself, Leorio! And in the other, weighing more than a few tons in total, the unbeatable Testing Gate! Now, let us start the match. Round one, begin!_

"Ngghh!" Leorio grunted as he pushed with all his might.

The door didn't budge.

_Ooh, and the door stands tall. Looks like Leorio will have to try even harder if he wants to beat it. But Leorio's not one to give up!_

Leorio's face turned dark red and he huffed and puffed, his feet sliding against the ground. He couldn't, he wouldn't give up. He refused to let a simple door get the best of him.

But, alas, it was futile. The door just wouldn't budge.

_And the winner of round one: the gate! _I screamed in my head. _Now for round two. Begin!_

This time instead of pushing, he pulled the doors towards him. Grunts and groans filtered through his clenched teeth and he pushed back with all his strength, and...

Nothing.

Nada.

Zilch.

I tried not to laugh. _Round two's winner: the gate! Ah, but Leorio still refuses to give up. Let's watch._

Leorio pulled at one door, then at the other. He took a moment to catch his breath, before he was at it again. He pulled, he pushed, he even banged against the gate. But the door stubbornly stood still.

The others sweat-dropped.

I snicked behind a hand. This was just hilarious!

_Guess we know who the winner is. But who'd ever doubt the gate? Leorio's just gonna have to accept his loss._

"I've tried everything but it won't budge!" Leorio yelled in exasperation.

Zebro came up behind him. "That's because you aren't strong enough," he stated.

"That's absurd! I've been using all my strength!"

"Just watch," Zebro ordered, walking passed him.

The old man undid his jacket and shrugged it off, letting it fall to the ground in a heap. He took a deep breath, his muscles flexing and bulging. Had I not seen this scene already, my eyes would be jumping out of their sockets in shock at the large muscles that only seemed to grow. For an old man, he sure had some muscles. Would've never thought at first glance. Bet if those bounty hunters from earlier saw just how fit he was, they'd wet their pants in fear.

_I wonder if I'd end up as muscular as him if I trained enough to be able to open the first gate. _I cringed at the image of a bigger, taller me with bulging muscles and abs that would make even a body-builder jealous.

_That... _I shuddered. _How did the saying go again? "What has been seen cannot be unseen"? ...yeah, I would have liked to go on with life without the image. I think I'm scarred for life._

"This gate's official name is the Testing Gate. Anyone who cannot open this gate is unqualified to enter the Zoldyck estate." His hands pressed against both doors and with a cry, the doors forced open. Zebro immediately let go of the doors as soon as they were opened and, just as he'd say next, the doors automatically shut closed with a slam. Our access inside gone.

_Incredible, _I thought.

It truly was. Even if I'd already seen it, it was much different watching in person. To think he could open a two ton gate. Or did it equal four tons in total? Two for one door and two for the other. Still, it was truly incredible.

_I wonder if I should've rushed inside before he closed the doors. It's gonna be a while still until he opens them again, and that's a lot of time wasted, _I pondered.

But then I'd be alone in there for who-knows-how-long and with Mike on the other side. Though he wouldn't attack me since I came through the doors, still. I wasn't a match for him. I'd be risking my life, and the last thing I wanted was to act reckless like Gon. This was a family of assassins we were dealing with, anything could happen. I'd already changed canon by adding myself in, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to think I've changed other canon events as well.

I half-listened as Zebro began his long speech. Taking out my phone, I unlocked it and headed to my wi-fi. Surprisingly, there were a few networks in sight. All read 'Zoldyck' followed by another name. There was 'Zoldyck Butlers', 'Zoldyck Janitors', 'Zoldyck Maids', 'Zoldyck Bakers', and a few others that were specifically for the members of the Zoldyck family. They even had one for guests.

_Is there a network for everyone?_

And wait, how could they even have reception so far in the mountains?

I was flabbergasted.

_Is this just another anime logic thing that I shouldn't question? _I couldn't believe it.

I quickly pocketed my phone, deciding not to ponder on it anymore. My brain would just fry from over-thinking. Looking back up at the gate, I was so so tempted to open it. I would epicly fail, but I still wanted to try.

_Just once, that's all. I really wanna try opening it. _Oh, it was just so so tempting. I really wanted to. But I couldn't. But I wanted to. Though I couldn't. But just once wouldn't hurt, right? Once? That's all. Just a little try. The gate was beckoning for me to come and try opening it. With its' shiny black metal and those mesmerizing lines that separated one door from the other. The cool surface, the intoxicating smooth metal. And the... the...

I moaned. "Ugh, it's so tempting. I really wanna try it out."

That was it, I was trying it.

I walked up to the gate and stood straight, shoulders squared and chest puffed up. Parting my legs and pressed my palms to the gate, I took a deep breath and...

"HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY KNOW THAT?! PUT KILLUA ON THE PHONE!"

I jumped, shrieked, and stumbled back onto my rear. I panicked. "Whowhatwherehowwhy?!"

Then I realized who had screamed that and why._ So it's at that part in the anime... _I clutched tightly at my jacket, right above my heart, feeling it beating rapidly against my ribcage.

"I really gotta work on not getting so easily startled. It's bad for my health," I mused. My butt ached from the fall and had the itching urge to rub at it, as if that would lessen the ache. I really had to speak to Gon about startling me. Or get better at keeping my guard up. Or both. I looked to the building the three plus Zebro were in. It wouldn't be long until Gon tries to climb over the Testing Gate. That meant that we'd be going inside soon.

**_And meeting Mike._**

I shuddered in anxiety. Mike had been the one to eat those two bounty hunters from earlier, and he could very well do the same thing to us. When he first appeared in the old version of the anime, he was actually pretty scary to look at. In the new anime, I found him more cute than scary like in the old. Now, I was trembling at the thought of meeting him.

_At least we're not gonna end up half dead like Naruto's team did in their retrieval mission with Sasuke. _And then my traitorous mind conjured up a picture of Gon's bloodied and beaten form after his encounter with Canary.

Oh no, what if that happens to all of us? What if even worse, we all end up dead? Oh god would that be horrifying. I was too young to die. All of us were too young to die! Neither getting eaten alive or beaten to death sounded like nice, peaceful and totally pain-free ways to die. I shuddered in fear. Why were we doing this again?

**_For Killua._**

Riiiight...

I sighed. I really needed to stop getting so angst-y and depressed. _Nothing's gonna happen to us. Why do I keep thinking so negatively? Where was Gon when I needed him?_

I looked around at the thought. Where was Gon anyway? And found him trying to climb over the gate. When did he get over there?

I pulled myself off the floor and made my way over to Kurapika and Leorio, who were currently trying to reason with Gon. Like he would listen. And just as I arrived, Zebro began his speech about how he'd hand Gon the key and go with him to do together. And how even if he doesn't, he'll still die.

What was it with everyone here and talking about death like it was nothing?

I shuddered. _I think this place is a negative influence on me. Besides Gon, everything just makes me think of violence and death and just everything negative in general._

"You must like animals, Gon-kun," said Zebro suddenly.

I quickly tuned back in, mentally berating for not having paid attention to them.

"Yeah," Gon nodded.

"Just as I thought. Did you grow up playing in the countryside?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"Gon-kun, I'm going to open the Testing Gate once more. I want you to see Mike for yourself."

And so he opened the Testing Gate once more.

Inside, I couldn't believe how pretty it was. The plants were watered and taken care of, I assumed there were even animals living inside as I could hear some sort of small movement, and despite the eerie feel to it, I couldn't help but be mesmerized. Who would have thought a family of assassins would keep their home so good-looking?

_Besides all the obvious danger on this mountain (Mike and the butlers), Vince would love it here, _I couldn't help but think.

He always wanted a large backyard where he could play without any worries about anyone or anything else. Even with the large backyard we had at grandma's house, he still was unsatisfied with it. Spoiled child.

I smiled at the thought of my little brother. I really did miss him.

"Hey, are you sure we can be in here?" questioned Leorio, nervous.

"Yes," Zebro nodded, "you'll be safe because you entered through the Testing Gate. Mike! Come here!"

I tensed, the sounding of growling and heavy footsteps growing louder. I turned along with the others and a few seconds later, a giant dog emerged from the trees and into our line of vision. It was tall, at least five times our size, with its long, bushy tail wagging behind it and its blank, blue eyes staring down at them apathetically. Its body was lithe and muscled, front paws resembling more human hands with the back that of a dog's. I couldn't quite tell, but was his fur brown or red? With the lack of proper lighting it was hard to be sure.

The others shook in fear.

My mouth opened wide. "Se... Sesshomaru?"

Wait, no. That couldn't be Sesshomaru. For one, Sesshomaru's fur was white and two, his eyes were golden (red in his demon form). Plus, his face wasn't as furry as this creature's and the rest of Sesshomaru's body was even furrier than his. There were no markings, either. And I'm pretty sure Sesshomaru's more muscled and taller than this dog.

And Zebro had just called him Mike, and he was obviously Mike.

Hmm...

"Is there something wrong, Hiei?" Zebro asked.

I shook my head. "No, I just thought Mike was Sesshomaru for a second. Though I guess Mike looks more like Kurama, take out the other eight tails and make his fur orange."

Looking closer at the beast, I wondered how he'd have looked in the older version to me. When I first saw him in the newer version, I thought of him as rather cute. He was definitely scarier up close, but I still held on to my belief that the white Mike was scarier than this brown one.

"I thought Mike would be scarier," I muttered. "But he's more beautiful than scary."

"Are you insane?!" Leorio pointed an accusing finger at Mike, "How the hell are you not scared of it? It's a giant dog and can kill us no problem! What kind of creatures do you hang out with?"

I shrugged. "I've seen scarier. I mean, Sesshomaru is pretty scary-looking in his dog form. Kurama is as well, especially when I first saw him. Blood-red eyes, razor-sharp teeth, nine tails. They're both the definition of scary."

They stared at me as if I was insane.

"What?" I questioned indignantly, shrinking in on myself at all the attention, "just because I find the dog cute doesn't mean you guys can look at me as if I'm some loony or something." I pouted, so mean.

Leorio and Zebro just continued to stare. At least Gon looked sheepish, and rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. Though it is surprising. I mean, even I'm scared of Mike."

Kurapika sighed and shook his head. "Out of all of us, I expected you to be the most scared of Mike. You never fail to surprise me," he muttered.

Was that good or bad?

He had a small smile on his face, so perhaps that was good. I huffed and smiled. If that was a compliment, then Kurapika was good at making it hard for me to stay mad at him. I really hoped that wasn't an insult. "Anyway, shouldn't we get going?"

That was when Zebro stepped up to guide us to the servants' quarters. As I followed behind Zebro with the others, I realized something.

Zebro hadn't given that small speech to Gon about how scary Mike was.

* * *

_As always, I'd like to thank Guest, Wyrvel, jonica77, Morgiana chan and Singular Poisonous Ashes for reviewing. I really appreciated it, especially with the decrease in reviews lately. And the rest of you, you know it's not that hard to review, right? I'll even take a simple 'Hi' or 'good chapter' or something short like that. I love reviews, they're what keeps me motivated. So please keep them coming :3 Also:_

**_Wyrvel: _**_I'm so glad to hear that you like my story, really. And that long review *w* I just loved it. At first I wanted to make Lyrica like a lot of other characters I've read so far, tsunderes. But I decided against it. I wanted a different kind of OC, so I went with this. It's relieving to know that people have taken a liking to her. Thank you so much!_

_Also, I figured Killua would see a little of Alluka in her, and thought that he wouldn't be too harsh with her. When it comes to characters like Alluka, I don't think he can be so harsh with them. Alluka is just so cute and awesome, and being the big brother that Killua is, he just can't hate her :3_


	15. The Hells of Training

After the eventful meeting with Mike the Zoldyck guard dog, the guys were pretty silent. The trek to the servants' quarters was long and boring. There was nothing to see or do, and the guys kept an quick and steady pace which made it hard to stop for a moment and not lose them. Everything looked pretty much the same; there was only trees, bushes, grass, and then more trees. Soooo breathtaking in beauty that I couldn't look away.

Note the sarcasm.

I was bored out of my mind. Sure everything looked cool at first, but it became tiring after a few minutes. How long had we been walking for anyway? I'd say for hours, but even I knew that was exaggerating. Though I was surprised I hadn't grown tired yet. As much as I liked long walks, I could never hold out for more than an hour or two.

_I'd be so cool if I could go back and see Mike again. He's scary-looking, but he's so awesome! Would be nice if I could give him a hug, _I thought.

Man, why couldn't the awesome characters be nice and huggable? Killua was my number one favorite character in this world and I can't even touch him without a really good reason. Gon was the only one that didn't mind a sudden hug. Kurapika was so distant that I was actually scared of hugging him. Then there was Leorio, who was against 'mushy' unless he felt it was fine.

They were all so mean.

Togashi-sensei was mean.

Everyone was mean.

I pouted.

The sight of the large building came into view soon after those thoughts. I couldn't help but gawk at it. Sure I'd already seen it in both animes, but maaaaan! That was only supposed to be for janitors?! The three-story rustic house didn't look at all like mere janitors lived there - unless they were wealthy ones. If working for the Zoldycks got you such nice houses than it wasn't that bad of a job.

The fear of being hurt for doing something wrong was the only unappealing thing about it I could see so far.

And taking orders from what normal people would define as lunatics.

Definitely that.

I was actually jealous. I wish I had that much money to go around spending. Must be nice to be so rich.

"It's getting late so you can stay here for the night," Zebro said. He opened one of the heavy doors with ease and gestured for us t get inside. "Please, come in."

I followed after the boys and my mouth dropped for the second time in five minutes. The inside was so huge! It was so bright and spacious, with a few decorations added here and there to make it more homey. At first glance it looked like everything was made of wood. But on further inspection, I could see glass and metal, among other materials. So bare it was that it looked even bigger than it probably was. Or was it smaller than it was? Whatever, it was still so huge. I could fit a circus in here!

Yep, I was definitely jealous.

Like in the anime, we met up with Seaquant, who was less than friendly with us upon finding out we were here for Killua. Being put-down was harsh, but knowing just how weak we all were compared to the Zoldycks, I couldn't argue against him. It made me self-conscious of my own strength.

It didn't take too long after that until Zebro proposed to us the idea of training so that we could open the first door of the gate. Of course, I was all up for it, just as the others (even if they were a little more upset over it). I wasn't too keen on having to wear all those weights and doing all those chores, but I wasn't stupid enough to believe I could survive in this world with my puny strength. I needed the training.

So when Zebro brought us the vest weights, I swallowed my displeasure and allowed him to help me put it on.

...and promptly fell back-first into the wooden floor.

"Gnnngh unnngh...!" I tried rolling and jumping and punching and kicking my legs and everything I could think of, but I failed. I couldn't get up. I groaned in frustration. "I am sooo~ gonna hate this."

I could tell the others agreed with me.

* * *

I sat glaring down at my cup full of sweet smelling tea. There was no question about it. I knew, just knew without even touching it that the cup weighed a freaking ton. And I was so thirsty, too! I hated this training already.

"Thank you for the tea," I mumbled, remembering my manners.

Gulping, I took hold of the cup with two shaky hands. My brows furrowed together in concentration, my teeth clenched in effort, and I grunted as I pulled on the cup.

.

.

.

Nothing.

I huffed in irritated and tried once more. Summoning all the strength I could, I pulled at the cup. And just as last time, there was nothing. No shake. No movement. Zilch. It was stuck in the same place. I groaned in exasperation, ready to slap the cup in my growing hate for it and the training. The only thing that stopped me from doing so was the reminder that the cup weighed a freakish amount of kilograms and I'd only sprain or break my wrist if I tried.

Could I give up already?

Without my notice, I had turned everyone out. The others were preparing to eat, yet I was completely unaware of them getting up in my glaring at the cup. I was too engrossed in figuring out how to lift the cup.

_But I'm so thirsty...~_

* * *

My most formidable opponent yet stood tall in front of me - even more fearsome than that cup from earlier. Despite my shaking legs and my urge to go - or because of it, I stood my ground. Green eyes were narrowed in a burning, passionate glare and a tender pink lip held strong against the teeth sunk into it. With a mighty cry, I charged at my adversary.

"Haaaaah!"

.

.

.

"Damn it, door! Open!" I yelled, pushing with all my might against the most heaviest door I've ever seen.

My legs slipped beneath me and I grunted, leaning all of my upper body against the door. There was no movement - no sign of my effort being a success. I gave up, heaving a heavy sigh and panting in exhaustion. I couldn't stand this. It was all to much.

"Ugh, I hate this. I hate this, I hate this, I hate this! I soooo need to go to the bathroom! I'm seriously gonna pee my pants any moment! Ugh!" I whined.

Taking a deep breath, I tried once more. My shoulder slammed into the door and a jolt of pain shot from the spot of contact, running through my body like lightning. I yelped. "Ow, ow, ow! That hurts!"

I hopped and twirled in place, my hands in between my legs. My mind went into overdrive, trying to figure out a way for me to get inside the door. Stomach twisting painfully, I finally gave up and resorted to smacking my fist against the door in hopes that it would open or someone would come along to help me. Tears prickled at my eyes, the effort to hold the liquid in my bladder becoming impossible as the seconds ticked by.

_I'mgonnapeeI'mgonnapee__I'mgonnapeeI'mgonnapee! _I chanted in my head, pushing at the door with all my strength.

It still didn't open.

_I'mgonnapeeI'mgonnapee__I'mgonnapeeI'mgonnapee__I'mgonnapeeI'mgonnapee__I'mgonnapeeI'mgonnapee!_

The tears finally escaped my eyes and in desperation, I gave one last mighty push. I could feel myself coming to my limits. My stomach burned from suppressing the liquid inside my body. I was seriously gonna pee on the freaking floor!

But the door _still _didn't open.

"Here."

"Ieeaah!"

I groaned into the ground, my face throbbing in pain from the face-plant I had done with the floor. For a moment I had forgotten about my intense need to pee as I got up to see who had unexpected opened the door. Zebro stood with his arm outstretched, keeping the door from shutting, with a smile on his face that suspiciously looked like amusement.

Now I knew, he was a god sent to earth to help those in need.

The reminder of my need to pee came in the form of my stomach growling and turning. With a squeak, I uttered a short thanks and stepped inside. The door closed automatically behind me and I rushed to get to the toilet. A blissful sigh came from my parted lips and I relaxed against the toilet. The feeling of finally being able to pee after hours of waiting was like that of heaven. And once done, I washed my hands and went for the door.

.

.

.

"Noooo~ooooo~"

I sagged to the floor, sulking against the door.

_I can't open the door..._

* * *

The luminous moon beamed in the starry night. The forest of Kukuroo Mountain was engulfed in a peaceful silence, only broken by the hypnotizing melody of the woodland creatures. The beauty of the night was left unperturbed, the residence of the mountain fast asleep. Even Mike, the faithful guard of the Zoldycks, lay slumbering on the soft, cool grass on the ground.

All was as it should be. Calm and soothing.

.

.

.

Well, all was calm and soothing except for the servants' quarters.

I groaned for what felt like the hundredth time that night, and I didn't doubt that I had exceeded that number a while ago. With my legs curled in towards me and my head sandwiched between a pillow and the stiff mattress of the bed, I was ready to burst into tears. The urge to slam my forehead into something, anything that was remotely hard was almost too tempting to resist. Just as long as I could pass out and escape from this torture.

_Oh god, can you get any louder, Leorio?!_

Leorio snored loudly in his sleep, blissfully unaware of the growing danger in the form of the very irritated and sleep-deprived little girl only meters from him. He lay sprawled across the bed, in some extra shorts and a t-shirt he had hidden in his briefcase. Drool escaped his parted lips, dampening the pillow his head lay on.

His loud snores would make a banshee wanna kill herself.

A pain-fearing person gladly scratch and cut and burn, and even rip out their ears if only to escape from the agony.

I knew I was very close to it.

I dislodged the pillow from my head and sat up. My bangs fell in front of my eyes and I didn't even bother pushing the strands aside like usual. Instead, I stood up and put on my shoes. I didn't even give my weights a single glance. Who cared what Mr. Zebro said, I wasn't about to put them back on. I just wanted to get out of here.

The sooner the better.

I sent Leorio a deadly glare, one that would kill any man if it were possible. Grumbling under my breath, I rushed to the door as quietly as possible and shut it softly behind me. Making my way downstairs, I scurried to the front door and pushed.

.

.

.

I groaned, flopping down on the ground. It was too heavy. I couldn't open it. I completely forgot.

And I could still hear Leorio's snoring even from down the stairs.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I cried. Cried lots and lots of nice, fat crocodile tears. It would've looked comical for anyone else, but I honestly felt like some otherworldly being was trying to punish me for whatever it was I may have done in my previous life.

Life hated me.

I didn't want to go upstairs where Leorio's snores sounded the loudest. So instead, I decided to sleep in the living room on the couch.

_I can just block out his snores with some music from my phone._

.

.

.

I banged my head on the stone door repeatedly, not ceasing until my forehead throbbed painfully and the skin was ready to tear. "I. Am. Such. An. Idiot," I said with each bang to the door.

Oh my gosh, why the hell didn't I think of that earlier? That was like, the easiest way to block out his snoring. I could've been sleeping soundly by now if I wasn't so stupid! Stupid, stupid, stupid! I seriously hated myself at the moment. Like honestly!

Standing up, I patted the pockets on my pants. I groaned when I didn't find my phone or my headphones, remembering that I had left it in my jacket when I'd taken it off, afraid to break it. For that matter, I also needed to get a blanket and pillow. The couch was pretty stiff and I was used to more comfortable sleeping places. And my pillow and blanket, as well as my phone and headphones, were all upstairs.

Where Leorio was sleeping, still snoring loudly.

I wanted to die.

Turning on my heels, I tiptoed upstairs and slipped back into my room. Quickly getting the things I needed, I gave Leorio another nasty glare on my way out. Brown pair of eyes watched me leave, but I didn't notice. I made my way back downstairs and hurried to the couch. Setting up my bed for the night, I plugged the headphones into my phone and played some music, giving a sigh as one of my many songs sounded softly through the ear buds and into my ears.

I couldn't hear Leorio, either.

I never knew music could be so heavenly. I sighed in content.

_Finally, sleep._

* * *

_I know, I know. It's been a hell of a long time and I'm sorry for that. In my absence, I got a new job that's been keeping me busy and there's also the problem of school. My finals are coming up and between studying and work, I don't have much time for writing. After so long a time since my last update, I know it must be disappointing to have such a short and uneventful chapter. However, I wanted to get something out as soon as I could to keep you guys from growing impatient._

_This chapter may be boring, but it's necessary. I just hope you guys aren't too mad with me. Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner and more entertaining._

_**Arcana The Wolf: **Yeah, sorry if I disappointed you. I didn't like my old cover or my profile picture, so I changed it. I'm surprised someone noticed. I hope this was able to satisfy you even a little. I'll try and get the next chapter up sooner._

**_Kinzington The Bear: _**_Thanks, but I think you're giving me too much credit. My goal all along was to start her off as a typical fangirl and then build her up from there. I hope to not disappoint you!_

**_miyazono kaori:_**_ Sorry for the wait. I'll try and get the next chapter up sooner._

**_Guest (1): _**_I was just waiting for someone to point all that out. Lyrica/Hiei isn't really that great of a character, I know. As I said previously to another reviewer, my intention was to start her off as a typical fangirl. However, I also want her to have some depth to her, but she came out kinda weird. I intended for her to be smarter than she makes herself appear, but I know that I might've made her a little too smart for her age. Well, I've wanted to fix this story up since back in chapter 4, but I'm just too lazy to actually do it. Soon in the future I'll start editing it to make it better, but for now I'll keep going. I'll to keep her more consistent and realistic from now on, and less focused on. As for the name, I'm aware it's incorrect. However, I suck at titles. I've been meaning to change it, but I have absolutely no idea what to change it to. Once I come up with a good title, I'm changing it immediately. If you have any suggestions, feel free to send it in. I'll appreciate anything. Thank you for the review._

**_Moon55555:_**_ Thank you, I'll try._

**_LifeOfTheLost: _**_Thank you! I'll try and keep Lyrica as realistic as I can while also entertaining to read about. I think you give me too much credit though. I appreciate your words :)_

**_Nameless Angel 00:_**_ Sorry for the wait. I hope the next chapter doesn't take as long._

**_Liz:_**_ Thanks, and I'll try._

**_Guest (2): _**_I'm glad to hear that. I hope to not disappoint! Thank you for the review._

**_RaNDoem:_**_ I hope I can keep you satisfied! I'll try to update sooner._

**_Guest (3):_**_ I'm glad you like it so far. I'll try and give Hisoka more involvement just for you! Not in this arc, though. Just be patient :)_

**_SmileRen:_**_ I intended for her to be that much of a fangirl and reckless. Leaves a lot of development, right? I can do a lot with characters that are bad :P Thanks for the review!_

**_A_****_aronRaphaelLorraine: _**_Glad I'm not the only one. I think a Zoldyck might have stole one of Sesshomaru's cubs and raised it on their own. It would explain Mike :P Thanks for the review._

**_Mikamizu Mouri:_**_ I hope you enjoy this one too, even if a little. Thanks for the review!_

**_jonica77:_**_ Yup, I hope to make it exciting! Thanks for the review!_

**_SoundlessWorld:_**_ Isn't she? Alluka's like my favorite female character (Alluka wants to be called a 'she' so I'm calling her a she, no matter her gender). She's just so adorable that I can't get enough of her~ About 'Hiei' revealing her name, soon I hope. It is a pretty name. Thanks for the review!_

**_candydivine:_**_ No problem, I don't mind so much. I'm just glad you gave me a review now. I really appreciate it! Look forward to the future chapters because it's guaranteed that Lyrica's gonna change, even if a bit! Soon she'll be awesome (I hope)! :D_

_OMG, how the heck did I get so many reviews?! This is unbelievable! I know I asked for reviews, but I didn't think I'd get this many. Thank you guys so much. I hope I responded to everyone of the reviews. Thank you to those above who reviewed, you guys are all sweeties :3_


	16. IMPORTANT AN

Sadly to say, this is not a new chapter. I hope you readers will not immediately exit out of this page upon reading this news because what is put on this author's note is important. I want **_everyone _**_**of my readers of this story to read this.**_

Now as I'm sure those of you who've read the first ever author's note I put on at the bottom of the first ever chapter of this story know, this story was originally created for the fun and practice of writing about an original character. This is still my plan. I'm having fun with this story, even if at times it does get a little hard to keep my motivation to write up. However, I want to take this further, put more effort into this story - into my original character and into my plot. I want to make this story a _good _story. Not just a story I write up for fun with little thought put into it. So here's the part I want you, the readers, the know of.

Currently, I want to put this story under construction. There have been quite a few of you who have noticed and pointed out the mistakes I've made in my story and the characters. Even before any of you have pointed out anything, and even before I published the first chapter of this story, there were things that I didn't like and knew were wrong. I should have corrected them. I admit, I didn't have an immediate answer as to how to make it perfect and was too lazy to put effort into finding a way to fix it.

This is where the "I write for fun with little thought put into it" part comes in. Oops, sorry...?

Okay, I should be sorry - and I am, don't get me wrong - I just probably am not as sorry as I should be. Like I said, I originally wrote this for fun and practice for making an OC story, not to overwork my brain. Anyway...

I have a bunch of ideas swarming in my head that I'm having trouble organizing. Getting Lyrica's exact character is also a little challenge for me. I'm the type of person that, in my head, I have a good idea of what I want. When I try to get it on paper, that's when it gets very tricky. For me, the best way is to have someone help me through the process of creating and editing. You know what I'm saying...?

I need a beta reader. Someone to help me get my ideas down in an organized manner instead of the mess that's in my head. Someone who can help me destroy bad ideas within the blink of an eye and rebuild them into spectacular ones. Someone who's not afraid to point out my mistakes and guide me in the right direction. Someone who'll cut me down with a blade, but use the blunt end so I'll still be able to get up again and continue. Someone patient and encouraging because let's face it, I suck.

I would ask Crisp Berry, but she has three stories to juggle already and she's currently on a little break until she can get a new laptop since her old one's broken. And even if she could help me... well, let's just say she's the type to sugarcoat. I don't mean offense, if your reading this Berry-chan!

So, anyone willing to put up with and help me? I can't promise I'll always be there 100 percent (I've got school, work, and life to juggle on top of writing), but I'll try my best to do what I can. I just ask that if anyone is interested in helping me, to put up as much effort? I'll be forever grateful.

And for the rest of you readers, I apologize for the abruptness and hope you understand. I've been doing this story half-assed and I don't want to continue this way any longer. Please be a little more patient with me and I'll try to be much better!

If I don't get anyone, then I'll either continue as is or redo everything on my own. First, I wanna at least try to make this story better, though. I can't make promises that it'll be a quick process.

Thank you guys for reading this and putting up with me thus far. I hope to make it up to you readers!


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